Israel-Hamas war UPDATES: Israel says its troops raided Gaza to prepare for 'next stages of combat'

The conflict has further heightened international alarm amid growing shock about the scale of human suffering inside Gaza where Israel has cut off most water, food, fuel and other basic supplies.

Israel sent tanks, troops and armoured bulldozers into the Gaza Strip in a "targeted raid" overnight that destroyed multiple sites before withdrawing from the Hamas-ruled territory, the army said Thursday.

Black smoke billowed into the sky after a blast in the grainy night-vision footage the military released hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared preparations for a ground war were underway.

On the 20th day of Israel's deadliest Gaza war yet, launched in retaliation for the bloody October 7 Hamas attacks, the army said its forces had hit "numerous terrorist cells, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts."

The operation in northern Gaza came in "preparation for the next stages of combat", it said.

Israeli airstrikes have devastated parts of the Gaza Strip, leaving neighbourhoods in rubble and hospitals struggling to treat masses of wounded with diminishing resources.

The United Nations warned it's on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts in the blockaded territory. And the UN Security Council failed again to address the Israel-Hamas war, rejecting rival resolutions by the United States and Russia.

Meanwhile, the Hamas-run health ministry said Thursday that at least 7,028 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes since the militant group's October 7 attacks on Israel.

Some 2,913 children and 1,709 women are among the dead -- marking the highest number of war fatalities in Gaza since Israel unilaterally withdrew from the territory in 2005.

The UN warned that it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts in the blockaded territory.

READ IN DETAIL:

A recap of top development's from October 26

UN says aid is barely reaching into Gaza, after warning over rapidly depleting fuel supplies

UNRWA says "life-saving" services have come to a halt as stocks of fuel are quickly running out

Hamas says 'almost 50' Israeli hostages killed since Israel strikes began

Hamas release nearly 7000 names of those killed in Gaza after US cast doubt on death toll

Representatives of Hamas and Iran are in Moscow for talks, Russia's foreign ministry said

Israel has updated that 224 hostages are held in Gaza by Hamas, says number may rise further

Israel conducted a ground inside Gaza with tanks, targeting what it says were Hamas positions

Israel said it killed the deputy head of Hamas intelligence, hours after it conducted Gaza raid

Pentagon says 900 additional US troops heading to Middle East, but will not go to Israel

EU leaders on Thursday debated calling for "pauses" in Israel's war with Hamas to get aid into Gaza

Israel claims Hamas used Iranian and North Korean weapons in attack

The Israeli military said Thursday that a portion of the weapons used by Hamas in its October 7 attacks were manufactured in Iran or North Korea. The military made the statement during an official media tour in which it displayed a variety of weapons recovered from communities in southern Israel attacked by the militants.

A range of landmines, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and homemade drones were part of the haul displayed. Part of the arsenal included Iranian-made mortar rounds and North Korean RPGs.

"I think about five to 10 percent of the weapons here [were] made in Iran," said an Israeli military official, who helped oversee the clearance of munitions from areas that came under attack.

"And 10 per cent [are] North Korean. The rest of it was made inside the Gaza Strip," the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Hamas lists some 7,000 names of Gaza 'dead'

Hamas on Thursday released a list of almost 7,000 names of Gazans it said had been killed in Israeli strikes after the US president cast doubt on its toll figures.

The Palestinian Islamist group says that 7,028 people have now been killed in Gaza since its October 7 attacks which Israel says left 1,400 dead, mainly civilians.

The Hamas list of 6,747 names, released by its health ministry, gave the sex, age and identity card number of each of the victims. It said 281 bodies had not yet been identified.

The ministry said in a statement that the United States had "brazenly cast doubt on the truth of the announced toll" after US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he had "no confidence" in the militant group's death toll figures. "We have decided to announce the details of the names to the whole world so that the truth is known about the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli occupation against our people."

US will respond to recent attacks on troops in Mideast at time 'of our choosing': White House

A White House spokesman said Thursday that the United States would respond at a “time of our choosing and a manner of our choosing” to a recent spate of attacks the US says has been carried out by Iranian-backed groups against US troops stationed in the Middle East.

The blunt warning from White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby came a day after President Joe Biden said Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been directly warned that the US would respond if Iran or its proxies continued to attack US troops. Attacks on US troops in the region have increased since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House, Biden said: “My warning to the Ayatollah was that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond. And he should be prepared.”

EU eyes call for 'corridors and pauses' for Gaza aid

EU leaders on Thursday debated calling for "pauses" in Israel's war with Hamas to get aid into Gaza, as the bloc weighed how to respond to the conflict as fighting rages in Ukraine.

The European Union has struggled for both unity and influence in the face of the crisis that has engulfed the Middle East since Hamas launched its bloody attack on Israel on October 7.

The 27-nation bloc has long been split between more pro-Palestinian members such as Ireland and Spain, and staunch backers of Israel including Germany and Austria.

There has been strong condemnation of the Hamas attack, which Israel says killed at least 1,400 people and resulted in more than 220 people being taken hostage.

But there has been less consensus on urging any halt to Israel's retaliatory bombardment of Gaza, which the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed more than 7,000 people.

After days of talks, a draft statement for the summit called for humanitarian "corridors and pauses" so aid could reach civilians in Gaza. That declaration -- which was still being negotiated -- fell short of demands from the United Nations for a ceasefire.

History of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in five charts

Understanding the current war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza requires context and history. These charts aim to show changes in the region that have occurred over time to put some of the events in perspective.

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Palestinians rally against the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in the West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday, October 26, 2023. (Photo | AP)

UN warns that Gaza desperately needs more aid ? an emergency relief expert explains challenges this creates

The Conversation spoke with Paul Spiegel, an expert on complex humanitarian emergencies at the Center for Humanitarian Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, to better understand the particular challenges this reality creates and how it affects delivering aid to civilians in Gaza. READ FULL REPORT HERE

Trucks with humanitarian aid for the 'Gaza Strip enter from Egypt in Rafah on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. (Photo | AP)

Biden claims India-Middle East corridor 'possible reason' for Hamas attack

US President Joe Biden has hinted that one of the reasons behind Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel was the recent announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor that integrates the entire region with a network of rail, road and ports.

"I'm convinced one of the reasons Hamas attacked when they did, and I have no proof of this, just my instinct tells me, is because of the progress we were making towards regional integration for Israel, and regional integration overall. We can't leave that work behind," Biden said. READ FULL REPORT HERE

Hamas and Iran officials in Moscow for talks

Representatives of Hamas and Iran are in Moscow on Thursday for talks, Russia's foreign ministry said.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Iranian deputy foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani was in Moscow and confirmed reports that a Hamas delegation was in the Russian capital.

Hamas armed wing says 'almost 50' Israeli hostages killed in raids

Hamas's armed wing said Thursday that "almost 50" Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attacks have been killed in Israeli bombing raids on the Palestinian territory.

"(Ezzedine) Al-Qassam Brigades estimates that the number of Zionist prisoners who were killed in the Gaza Strip as a result of Zionist strikes and massacres has reached almost 50," the group said in a statement issued on its Telegram channel.

Earlier, the Israeli army said 224 people were abducted by militants during the attack that left 1,400 people, mostly civilians, dead. "We have informed the families of 224 hostages. This number is changing based on the intelligence we obtain," military spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters.

According to Israeli government figures that could not be confirmed by AFP, at least half of the hostages have foreign passports.

Lebanese battle blaze after Israel bombs border: officials

Soldiers and volunteers on Thursday were battling a blaze on Lebanon's southern border caused by Israeli bombing overnight, local officials said, as Israel and Hezbollah exchange near-daily cross-border fire.

The Mayor of the border village of Alma al-Shaab, Jean Ghafari, said the fire broke out after an Israeli bombing late Wednesday. "The blaze reached the edges of the village after midnight" and is still burning, he told AFP, adding that it "has come close to houses".

READ THE LIVE UPDATES HERE

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS FROM ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

Hamas health ministry says death toll passes 7,000 in Gaza war. Some 2,913 children and 1,709 women are among the dead -- marking the highest number of war fatalities in Gaza since Israel unilaterally withdrew from the territory in 2005.

Brazilian President Lula da Silva on Thursday said that the current conflict in Gaza is a "genocide".

Israeli military has updated that 224 hostages are being held in Gaza by Hamas, adding that the number could rise further.

Israeli tanks took part in a "targeted raid" overnight in northern Gaza as they are preparing for a ground invasion.

Hamas health ministry says death toll passes 7,000 in Gaza war

The Hamas-run health ministry said Thursday that at least 7,028 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes since the militant group's October 7 attacks on Israel.

Some 2,913 children and 1,709 women are among the dead -- marking the highest number of war fatalities in Gaza since Israel unilaterally withdrew from the territory in 2005.

Palestinians try to pull out a body from under the rubble of a destroyed building following Israeli airstrikes on the town of Khan Younis. (Photo | AP)

JUST IN: Hamas health ministry says death toll passes 7,000 in Gaza war

Palestinian top diplomat calls Israel offensive 'war of revenge'

The Palestinian Authority's foreign minister on Thursday called Israel's offensive in Gaza a "war of revenge", as he called for a ceasefire in the conflict.

"This time the war that Israel is waging is different. This time... it's a war of revenge," Riyad al-Maliki said in The Hague. "First we need to end this one-sided aggression and then we need to call for a ceasefire."

EU eyes call for 'humanitarian corridors and pauses' in Gaza

EU leaders will on Thursday debate calling for humanitarian "pauses" in Israel's war with Hamas, as the bloc weighs how to respond to another conflict as fighting rages in Ukraine.

After days of negotiations, the latest draft statement for the summit, seen by AFP, calls for "humanitarian corridors and pauses". That was updated from an earlier draft that had the formulation "a humanitarian pause" so that aid can reach civilians in Gaza.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

'It is not a war, it is a genocide': Brazilian President Lula da Silva

Brazilian President Lula da Silva on Thursday said that the current conflict in Gaza is a "genocide".

"This is not a war. This is a genocide that has already nearly 2000 children who had nothing to do with this, who are victims of this conflict."

International Condemnation of #Israel is growing. Brazil’s President Lula da Silva describes what’s happening in #Gaza: “This is not a war. This is a genocide which targets innocent civilians.” pic.twitter.com/sjojolo4zh

— Sameh Habeeb (@Samehahabeeb) October 26, 2023

Israeli army says 224 hostages held in Gaza

Israeli military has updated that 224 hostages are being held in Gaza by Hamas, adding that the number could rise further.

Since the war started, Hamas has released four hostages.

JUST IN | UN says 'nowhere is safe' in Gaza amid Israel bombing

The United Nations issued a stark warning Thursday that "nowhere is safe" in Gaza amid stepped up Israeli air raids in preparation for a widely expected ground offensive.

The war's toll so far:

Data provided by Associated Press

Palestinians killed	Israelis killed	Hostages
7,028	1,405	224
Palestinians injured	Israelis injured	Displaced
17,439	5,431	1.4 million

Israel conducts overnight 'targeted raid' with tanks in Gaza: Army

Israeli tanks took part in a "targeted raid" overnight in northern Gaza, the army said

"Overnight, the IDF conducted a targeted raid using tanks in the northern Gaza Strip, as part of preparations for the next stages of combat"

"The soldiers exited the area at the end of the activity."

READ FULL REPORT HERE

Summary of latest developments in Israel-Hamas war

1. Al Jazeera’s chief Gaza correspondent lost his wife, son, and daughter in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday

2. The UN warned on Wednesday that it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip

3. The IDF conducted an overnight targeted raid using tanks in the northern Gaza Strip

4. Biden condemned retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in West Bank

5. An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Wednesday killed 26 people and injured more than 100

Palestinians transport wounded women who were found on the street following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP)

Palestinian children wait for a food distribution in a displaced tent camp, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP)

Biden condemns retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank

President Joe Biden on Wednesday spoke out against retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank

He also said he was redoubling his commitment to working on a two-state solution to end the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict

Biden said the attacks by “extremist settlers” amounted to "pouring gasoline" on the already burning fires in the Middle East since the Hamas attack

“It has to stop. They have to be held accountable. It has to stop now,” Biden said at the start of a news conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was being honored with a state visit to Washington.

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President Joe Biden and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP)

WATCH | Hamas military wing wanted to show that Gaza was still in the picture: Journalist Paola Caridi

In this video, senior journalist Neena Gopal is in discussion with Paola Caridi, a journalist and historian about Hamas, the unprecedent scale of attack, dehumanisation and a lot more.

'Severe pain but no anaesthetic': Gaza hospitals in crisis as Israel-Hamas conflict rages on

Gaza's hospitals were facing "complete collapse", Palestinian medics warned

UN figures show over a third of the narrow Palestinian territory's 35 hospitals have closed due to damage or insufficient fuel

One doctor said he was forced to perform surgeries without anaesthetic

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Medics treat children wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in a hospital in Deir Al-Balah, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP)

Al Jazeera Gaza correspondent loses 4 family members in an Israeli airstrike

Al Jazeera's chief correspondent in the Gaza Strip, Wael Dahdouh, was helping broadcast live images of the besieged territory's night sky when he received the devastating news: His wife, son, and daughter had all been killed in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday.

“They take revenge on us in our children?” he said, kneeling over his son’s bloodied body, still wearing his protective press vest from that day’s work.

READ STORY HERE

Wael Dahdouh mourns over the body of his seven-year-old daughter, who was killed along with his wife and son in an Israeli air raid in the Nuseirat refugee camp. (AFP)

Israeli strikes leave neighborhoods in shambles; journalist's family among the dead

Israeli airstrikes are devastating parts of the Gaza Strip, leaving neighborhoods in shambles

A strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp on Wednesday killed several family members of one of Al Jazeera TV’s journalists, Wael Dahdouh

Strikes elsewhere destroyed homes and businesses and left many digging through the debris

A Palestinian man evacuates a wounded girl out of the destruction following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP)