Hamas Spokesman Hazem Kasem told Al Jazeera the movement is ready to release all the prisoners held by it in exchange to all those held by Israel.
The spokesman also noted that Hamas is hoping to “cope with the current battle, relying on its own forces and the Palestinian people’s ability to resist”.
There are 19 prisons within Israel and one inside the occupied West Bank that hold thousands of Palestinian prisoners.
The Axios website reported citing sources, director of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency David Barnea visited Qatar over the weekend and met with the country’s top officials to discuss steps to free more than 235 hostages in the Gaza Strip,
According to Axios, Barnea’s trip to Qatar came after Israel decided to expand its ground operation. Two sources claimed that the talks were constructive but did not lead to a breakthrough, according to the website. A third source told Axios that progress had been made.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Monday at least 33 children are being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“Hamas is holding over 200 Israelis hostage, including 33 children. Holding them, terrorizing them, keeping them as hostages,” he told a press conference.
“Every civilized nation should stand with Israel in demanding that these hostages be freed immediately and freed unconditionally,” he added.
Families of hostages held in Gaza say they told Netanyahu they would only accept an “everyone in return for everyone” deal, which would secure the immediate release of all hostages.
Several Western countries and families of those held have reportedly pressured Israel to delay a ground attack into Gaza in the hope more can be freed.
The ongoing crisis in the Middle East started with a “terrorist attack” on Israeli civilians, Putin noted. However, instead of “punishing” those behind it, Israel “unfortunately” opted for “vengeance” and assigned “collective responsibility” for it.
The major escalation between Hamas and Israel began on October 7 with a surprise attack launched by the Palestinian group. Israel responded with massive aerial and artillery bombardment of Gaza, which has already resulted in widespread destruction and heavy civilian casualties in the enclave.
More than 8,000 Palestinians, including over 3,000 children, have been killed, according to local health authorities. Women and children constitute about 70% of those killed in the Gaza Strip since the escalation.
In Israel, more than 1,400 have been killed during the conflict, according to the IDF.
“They need constant chaos in the Middle East. Therefore (the US) does its best to discredit those countries that insist on an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, on stopping the bloodshed, and are ready to make a real contribution to resolving the crisis, and not parasitise on it,” Putin said in a televised statement to a meeting of members of his Security Council and the government and the heads of law enforcement agencies on Monday.
Putin added Russia was fighting the shadowy US forces he blamed for the Middle East crisis on the battlefields of Ukraine.
“Palestine can only be helped by fighting those who are behind this tragedy. We are Russia and we are fighting them in the context of the ‘special military operation’. Both for ourselves and for those who strive for real true freedom.”
“The key to resolving the conflict is in the creation of a sovereign, independent Palestinian state,” Putin continued, implying that this was not Washington’s stated aim.
Putin has also condemned the ongoing bombing campaign waged by Israel against the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, stating it cannot be justified by anything.
“The horrible events currently unfolding in the Gaza Strip, when hundreds of thousands of innocent people are getting indiscriminately annihilated, have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from bombardment, cannot be justified by anything,” Putin stated.
Israel’s actions in the Palestinian enclave only invoke rage, Putin argued, adding, however, that one should not be led by “emotions” in properly addressing the situation in the Middle East.
“When you’re watching bloodied children, dead children, suffering of the elderly, death of medics – fists are clenching and tears are welling up. Yet we should not, we cannot allow ourselves to be led by emotions,” the president said.
The ongoing crisis in the Middle East started with a “terrorist attack” on Israeli civilians, Putin noted. However, instead of “punishing” those behind it, Israel “unfortunately” opted for “vengeance” and assigned “collective responsibility” for it.
The major escalation between Hamas and Israel began on October 7 with a surprise attack launched by the Palestinian group. Israel responded with massive aerial and artillery bombardment of Gaza, which has already resulted in widespread destruction and heavy civilian casualties in the enclave.
More than 8,000 Palestinians, including over 3,000 children, have been killed, according to local health authorities. In Israel, more than 1,400 have been killed during the conflict, according to the IDF.
“Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism,” Netanyahu told reporters during a press conference on Monday night, vowing, “That will not happen.”
“Just as the United States would not agree to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor or after the terrorist attack of 9/11, Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities with Hamas after the horrific attacks of October 7,” he continued.
“Today, we draw a line between the forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism,” Netanyahu declared, arguing that countries that failed to align themselves with Israel in “a war for our common future” were placing themselves in harm’s way.
“If Hamas and Iran’s axis of evil wins, you will be their next target,” he warned, vowing to fight until the Palestinian militant group was wiped out.
Unlike Hamas, which he claimed was deliberately targeting civilians with beheadings, rapes, and other atrocities, the PM insisted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were going out of their way to avoid killing Palestinian civilians.
“Even the most just wars have unintended civilian casualties,” he said.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has also said Hamas has “two options” in a televised address, either to “die fighting or to surrender without any conditions”.
“There is no third option,” Gallant stated, directing his message to “fighters on the ground as well as the leadership” in Gaza.
“We will reach them and we will achieve our mission and we will ensure the organisation is no longer there,” he continued, adding, “We will succeed in our ground operation by ensuring the return of our captives and by dismantling Hamas’s capabilities.”
His remarks come as Israel continues to pound various parts the enclave despite widespread calls for an immediate ceasefire.
International human rights observers have repeatedly condemned Israel for its collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population, citing the deliberate targeting of hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure and the withholding of food, water, medicine, and electricity as violations of international humanitarian law. Israel has argued Hamas uses civilian facilities as human shields and commandeers humanitarian aid deliveries.
On Friday, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Just 14 member states – including Israel and the US – opposed the measure, while 45 abstained. Israel has since deployed tanks to Gaza as part of a planned ground invasion.
Since declaring war on Hamas following the militant group’s surprise attack on October 7, Israel has reportedly killed nearly 8,500 Palestinians. The UN’s human rights body has accused Tel Aviv of war crimes, including genocide, describing an evacuation order issued to over 1 million inhabitants of northern Gaza as a thinly-veiled attempt at ethnic cleansing under the fog of war.
Last week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres observed in a speech to the Security Council that Hamas’ attack had not occurred “in a vacuum” and condemned Israel for the “56 years of suffocating occupation” it had inflicted on the Palestinian people. Israel subsequently vowed to reject visa applications by UN officials, accusing Guterres of attempting to justify Hamas’ attack.
Bodies have started to pile up in Jabalia camp in Gaza following Israel's intensive bombing.
Rocket sirens sound in Tel Aviv
Rocket sirens are sounding in central Israel, including Tel Aviv, following Israel’s heavy bombing of the residential Jablia camp in Gaza, according to Israeli media.
Israel’s bombing of the camp has left at least 400 people dead or wounded.
Israeli army confirms bombing Jabalia refugee camp
An Israeli army spokesperson has confirmed that they bombed the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza on CNN on Tuesday.
The spokesperson was asked if he knew that there were innocent civilians, men women and children in the camp, to which he responded with: “This is the tragedy of war…we’ve been saying for days, move south.”
The Ministry of Health confirmed that 400 people were killed or wounded in the bombing of the camp.
UN chief: ‘Level of humanitarian assistance in Gaza completely inadequate’
The United Nations chief said on Tuesday that the “level of humanitarian assistance that has been allowed into Gaza up until this point is completely inadequate.”
Antonio Guterres stated that he was “deeply alarmed by the intensification of the conflict.”
“I reiterate my call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for impeded access to be granted, consistently, safely and to scale,” he posted on social media platform X.
DM: Israel ‘paying heavy price’ in Gaza ground attacks
Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Israel is deploying forces “on a large scale, deep in the Strip” on Tuesday.
“There are battles against the forces that are operating [in Gaza] and the results and achievements on the battlefield are very high. Unfortunately, in war, there are also prices, and the prices in the last day were heavy prices. Despite that, we are also determined to continue and win,” he added.
Earlier today, the Israeli military announced that two soldiers were killed in Gaza and two were seriously wounded in the heavy bombing of the besiged enclave.
Erdogan: Israel committing ‘crimes against humanity’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of “committing crimes against humanity in Gaza” – with the support of the United States and Europe.
Erdogan, who has taken an increasingly strident line against Israel since the beginning of its attacks on Gaza, said that Israel “must be stopped”, in comments made after a cabinet meeting.
“Our discussions are ongoing to ensure the perpetrators of war crimes in Gaza are held accountable,” the president added, before calling for a ceasefire “to prevent a massacre”, followed by a “path to lasting peace”, he added.
EU condemns Israeli settler attacks in occupied West Bank
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell “expressed great concern over attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, which he firmly condemned”.
Following a series of contacts with the top diplomats of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, Borrell again called for a humanitarian pause in the war.
Attacks by settlers in the occupied West Bank have surged since October 7.
The UN has announced at least 115 Palestinians have been killed in violence in the occupied West Bank since then.
‘At least 10 dead’ in Israeli attack on Gaza’s al-Shati camp
Another target of Israeli bombing has been al-Shati refugee camp along the coast of Gaza City.
At least 10 people were killed in the attack, which hit a house in the camp, local sources told the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Hamas calls on Arab, Muslim countries to take ‘decisive stance’ after Jabalia devastation
Hamas have released a statement following the Israeli attack on Jabalia refugee camp which killed dozens of people.
The group has called on Arab and Muslim countries “to take a historic and decisive stance to stop the massacres” committed by Israel, and what it describes as a “genocide” against the Palestinian people.
“The massacre of the terrorist Zionist occupation [Israel] in the Jabalia camp is tolerated by all countries, governments and organisations that support this terrorist Zionist entity,” the statement said.
“They are all biased towards the Israeli aggression and crime 25 days ago, first and foremost the United States of America.”
The statement added that “the blood, body parts and wounds” of those killed would remain.
“When will consciences be moved to stop the series of massacres, open the Rafah crossing, bring support, relief, fuel, and field hospitals into the Gaza Strip, and save thousands of innocent lives and souls, including children, women, the sick and the wounded?”
UN chief: Int’l humanitarian law not ‘a la carte menu’
UN Secretary General Guterres said he was “deeply alarmed by the intensification of the conflict” amid Israel’s expansion of operations in Gaza and ongoing bombardment.
“Civilians have borne the brunt of the current fighting from the outset. Protection of civilians on both sides is paramount and must be respected at all times,” he stated.
“International humanitarian law establishes clear rules that cannot be ignored. It is not an a la carte menu and cannot be applied selectively,” he continued, adding, “All parties must abide by it, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.”
He called the current level of humanitarian assistance allowed into Gaza “completely inadequate and not commensurate with the needs of people”, while again calling for a humanitarian ceasefire.
Two soldiers killed in ground operation: Israel’s Army
The Israeli military has confirmed two of its soldiers have been killed in its ground operation in Gaza.
That brings the Israeli death toll since October 7 to at least 1,407, including 317 military personnel and 58 police officers.
The Israeli army named the soldiers as Roei Wolf and Lavi Lipshitz. Both were 20 years old.
UN refugee chief: Disregarding basic rules of war is increasingly becoming norm
Filippo Grandi, speaking to the UN Security Council, again appealed to the deadlocked members to support a humanitarian ceasefire.
“One must hope that a ceasefire becomes the first step towards embarking again, finally,on the path towards a solution,” he said, adding Israel-Palestine peace has been “repeatedly and deliberately neglected”.
“I hope that now, amidst the horrors of war, we can at least see how grave a miscalculation that has been,” he stated.
“There will be no peace in the region, and in the world, without a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the end of the Israeli occupation”.
Protesters repeatedly interrupt US Senate hearing on funding for Israel and Ukraine
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s opening remarks at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday were quickly and repeatedly interrupted by protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Within minutes of speaking, Blinken was interrupted by a man shouting “ceasefire now” and “save the children of Gaza”.
Subsequently, four other solo protesters and another group of protesters interrupted Blinken, shouting, “From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go!” and “Let Gaza Live!”
There were other protesters in the audience with their hands, painted red, in the air.
A dozen protesters were arrested during the congressional hearing Tuesday, according to Capitol Police. They were arrested on the charge of crowding, obstructing or incommoding.
Protesters raise their painted hands as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testify during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing to examine the national security supplemental request, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on October 31.
Israeli air raid kills at least 100 in Jabaliya camp: Health ministry
An Israeli air strike on the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza on Tuesday killed at least 100 Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials speaking to Al-Jazeera Arabic.
The Palestinian interior ministry announced there were 400 dead and wounded in total. A ministry spokesperson stated an entire residential complex had been destroyed.
“These buildings house hundreds of citizens. The occupation’s air force destroyed this district with six US-made bombs. It is the latest massacre caused by Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip,” interior ministry spokesperson Iyad al-Bazum told reporters.
“The international community must act immediately to stop Israel before it is too late.”
Footage from the camp shows buildings completely levelled to the ground, and panicked Palestinian residents carrying wounded children away from the scene.
Civil defence teams rushed to the scene to try and rescue people, searching through the rubble with their bare hands. Many families were in their homes when the bombs hit.
Gaza’s civil defence director has stated the Jabalia refugee camp has been “completely destroyed” by Israeli bombardment.
A spokesperson from the Palestine Red Crescent Society says teams are working on the ground to try and transfer the casualties to hospital following the attack on the Jabalia refugee camp.
“The situation is absolutely horrific,” Nebal Farsakh told Al Jazeera from Ramallah.
“We have been witnessing this increasing number of casualties among Palestinian civilians in Gaza due to attacks against residential buildings, homes, streets, as well as places of worship and hospitals,” the spokesperson stated.
“Hospitals are already overwhelmed, and they barely can deal with the increasing number of casualties they are dealing with every single hour,” Farsakh added.
“[They] are working on full capacity. This comes at the same time all hospitals are literally collapsing due to shortages [of] medical supplies as well as medicines, and they are running out of fuel, which is urgently needed”.
NATO secretary-general says Israel’s response must respect international law
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, addressing the Nordic Council in Norway, denounced Hamas’s attack but said Israel’s response must respect international law.
“We condemn Hamas’s terrorist attacks against Israel,” Stoltenberg stated.
“At the same time, it is important that Israel’s response takes place within international law, that civilian lives are protected and that humanitarian aid reaches Gaza,” he added.
Stoltenberg’s comments come after Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Israel may not have respected international law in its bombardment of Gaza.
Yemeni army launches large-scale ballistic, drone strikes on occupied territories to support Palestinians
Yemeni Armed Forces have launched large-scale military strikes against Israeli targets in the occupied territories in support of the Palestinian people during their days-long resistance against the illegal entity’s onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the forces’ spokesman, said in a statement on Tuesday that the Yemeni army launched a “large batch of ballistic and winged missiles, and a large number of drones” at various targets in the occupied territories.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that this is the third operation in support of our oppressed brothers in Palestine,” Saree stated, adding, “For the 25th day, the world is witnessing what is happening in occupied Palestine and what the Gaza Strip is being exposed to in terms of the brutal Israeli-American aggression, daily massacres, genocide, total destruction, and the stifling siege.”
The spokesman stressed the Palestinian people’s right to self-defense and said the Israeli occupation is the entity that destabilizes the region and promulgates violence.
“We affirm that the position of our Yemeni people towards the Palestinian issue is firm and principled, and that the Palestinian people have the full right to self-defense and to restore their full legitimate rights, and that what destabilizes the region and expands the circle of conflict is the persistence of the Zionist enemy entity in committing crimes,” Saree continued.
An immediate humanitarian ceasefire is an “absolutely imperative” in Gaza, the UN human rights office has announced.
“Colleagues across the UN are talking about the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell said in Geneva.
Considering “the picture that they painted, of how desperate the situation is,” a truce at this point is absolutely vital, Throssell added.
“I think going forward, of course, one also would hope that this would move towards cessation of hostilities because really, the only answer to this is really an end to the violence.”
Israeli army says it engages in ‘fierce battles’ in Gaza
The Israeli military announced it has engaged in “fierce battles deep” in the Gaza Strip in recent hours.
The Israeli forces attacked a Hamas outpost in the north, an army statement said in a post on X in Hebrew, adding “dozens” of fighters were killed and a significant amount of weapons was seized.
Israel continues to ‘intentionally’ target hospitals: Health ministry
Gaza’s health ministry says Israel is continuing to target hospitals and medical centres in the besieged Strip.
“Violations against medical teams are ongoing. One-hundred thirty medical staff have lost their lives,” Ashraf al-Qudra, Gaza health ministry spokesman, stated in a press conference.
“The Israeli occupiers continue to intentionally hit medical institutions. Fifty-seven medical institutions have so far been hit. Thirty-two medical centres are out of service because of being targeted or lack of fuel.”
“The Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital has been targeted directly and part of it was destroyed. A lot of the cancer patients suffered panic attacks because of this,” she added.
Israeli army used white phosphorus in south Lebanon attack: Amnesty
A new investigation by the UK-based rights group has found that “the Israeli army indiscriminately, and therefore unlawfully, used white phosphorous in an attack on Dhayra, in south Lebanon, on October 16.
“The attack must be investigated as a war crime,” Amnesty International wrote on X.
A new Amnesty investigation has found that the Israeli army indiscriminately, and therefore unlawfully, used white phosphorous in an attack on Dhayra in south Lebanon on 16 October.
Al Jazeera Arabic has reported on Tuesday Israeli tanks are advancing in northwest Gaza and south of Gaza City amid heavy clashes with Palestinian fighters.
Hamas has announced its fighters have engaged in confrontations with Israeli forces northwest of Gaza City, killing one soldier and shelling two armoured vehicles.
On Monday, Israeli tanks were seen on the outskirts of Gaza City before Hamas said it forced them to retreat after heavy fighting.
Gaza has become ‘a graveyard of children’
UNICEF says at least 940 children have been reported missing in Gaza, adding infant dehydration is a growing threat with only five percent of normal water output.
“Gaza has become a graveyard of children,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told a UN press briefing in Geneva.
About 3,500 children have been killed in the war so far, Gaza’s health ministry has confirmed.
Elder reiterated the UN children’s agency call for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access to supplies for the enclave. Children in Gaza are dying not only from Israeli air strikes but also because of a lack of medical care, he added.
Gaza death toll rises to 8,525
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has released updated casualty figures from the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
At least 8,525 people have died since 7 Ocotober, including 3,542 children and 2,187 women, according to officials.
Around 2,000 people are still missing, including 1,100 children. The vast majority of these people are believed to be dead and buried under rubble.
At least 21,543 have suffered injuries of various severity.
Yemen’s Houthi fighters claim drone attack on Israel
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels acknowledged launching drones towards Israel in retaliation for its war on Gaza.
“These drones belong to the state of Yemen,” Abdelaziz bin Habtour, prime minister of the Houthi government, told told AFP news agency.
Earlier, an unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down over the Red Sea during an approach on Israel.
Number of hostages held in Gaza now up to 240: IDF
The number of hostages believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza is up to 240, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said at a press conference Tuesday.
Hagari also stated 315 IDF soldiers have died since Hamas’ attack in Israel on October 7.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced it was “doing everything to bring all the kidnapped and missing people home.”
Netanyahu’s office issued a brief statement after Hamas released a short video Monday, showing three women believed to be hostages in Haza.
“Our hearts go out to you and the other abductees. We are doing everything to bring all the kidnapped and missing people home,” the statement read.
Israel missing on maps platform of Chinese companies: Report
The word “Israel” is missing on digital mapping platforms of tech giants Baidu and Alibaba, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
According to the US media outlet, while Baidu’s Chinese language online maps have Israel and the Palestinian territories delineated, the name of the country is not explicitly mentioned.
The same situation is observed on Alibaba’s Amap platform, WSJ added.
It was unclear if “Israel” was marked prior to the events of October 7.
Egyptian PM: Cairo ready to sacrifice ‘millions’ to defend Sinai
Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has said his country will not allow anything to be “imposed” on the Sinai region during a visit to the area bordering Israel and besieged Gaza.
Madbouly’s comments during a visit to a military base are seemingly a reference to proposals within Israel to resettle Gaza’s Palestinian population in the Sinai.
“We are ready to spend millions of lives on every grain of sand here,” Madbouly stated, adding: “Egypt will never allow anything to be imposed on it.”
Israel ‘wants Egypt debts’ forgiven in exchange for hosting Palestinians
According to Israel’s Ynetnews, citing Egyptian officials, Israel has put forward a number of initiatives to entice Egypt into accepting Palestinian refugees.
One of the proposals includes wiping out a subtantial chunk of Egypt’s debts through the World Bank, a report by the outlet states.
It’s not clear what influence Israel has at the World Bank to be able to have part of Egypt’s international debts written off.
A number of recent reports note that Israel wants Egypt to host Gaza’s refugee population.
On Monday, Haaretz reported the existence of an Israeli Intelligence Ministry document that said Israel wants the permanent resettlement of Gaza’s Palestinians in tent cities in Sinai.
Sixty-four UNRWA staff killed in Gaza
Sixty-four employees of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) have been killed in the Gaza Strip so far.
Its Director of Communications Juliette Touma made the announcement in a post on X.
“UNRWA will never be the same without them RIP,” she stated.
‘Listen to the cries and suffering of Palestinian citizens’
“[It] condemns in the strongest terms the deliberate targeting of the remaining hospitals, health centres, ambulances and medical and first aid teams working in the Gaza Strip, by directly bombing them, damaging parts of them, or bombing their surroundings, as happened in the targeting of the Indonesian hospital… as well as the targeting of the Turkish Friendship Hospital… bombing of the European Hospital area and the vicinity of Al-Quds Hospital. This is in addition to the repeated power cuts to Al-Aqsa Hospital,” the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates wrote on X.
The ministry considers that targeting the remaining hospitals is a deepening of the war of genocide committed by the occupying state in the Gaza Strip, depriving citizens and patients of their right to the simplest forms of health treatment, as well as expanding the forced displacement of citizens, according to the statement.
“It calls on the international community to listen to the cries and suffering of Palestinian citizens… and to take necessary measures imposed by international law to provide protection for hospitals. The Ministry reaffirms that stopping the war is the correct way to protect civilians and secure access to their basic needs.”
Over 800,000 Palestinians evacuate from northern Gaza: Israeli army
More than 800,000 civilians have left the northern areas of the Gaza Strip, Israeli military spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said at a briefing on Tuesday.
“We are happy to see that more than 800,000 have evacuated from the northern part, from the main combat area,” he noted.
Humanitarian assistance continues to be delivered to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, Conricus continued, adding that there was food and water in the south of the enclave.
“As days go by, I think we will be ramping up our facilitation of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.”
On October 13, Israel informed the United Nations that 1.1 mln Palestinians should relocate to the south of the Gaza Strip within 24 hours. The Israeli army explained the recommendation saying that Hamas militants were hiding in tunnels under civilian buildings in Gaza. Hamas, however, urged Gaza residents to ignore Israel’s demand, and asked the UN to take measures to prevent people from being forced from their homes.
Israeli PM lobbied EU to pressure Egypt into taking refugees from Gaza: Report
A new report by the Financial Times says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to convince European Union leaders to put pressure on Egypt to take refugees from the Gaza Strip
People briefed with the discussions told the British publication that the idea was put forward in meetings with European officials last week. They said the proposal was floated by countries such as Austria and the Czech Republic in private conversations that led up to a summit of EU leaders on Thursday and Friday.
However, European powerhouses such as Germany and France dismissed the proposal as unrealistic, pointing to Egyptian officials’ resistance to the idea of accepting refugees from Gaza, even temporarily.
Egypt has repeatedly said that Palestinians should not move away from their ancestral lands in order for them to be able to achieve a longstanding dream of nationhood. On Sunday, the White House said that “ensuring that Palestinians in Gaza are not displaced to Egypt or any other nation” was on the agenda of a phone call between United States President Joe Biden and his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Israel says it struck 300 targets overnight in Gaza
The IDF announced Tuesday its forces have struck “approximately 300 targets”, including military compounds inside underground tunnels belonging to Hamas over the past day.
During ground operations, IDF soldiers “had several engagements with terrorist cells that fired both anti-tank missiles and machine gun fire toward them. The soldiers killed terrorists and directed air forces to real-time strikes on targets and terror infrastructure”, it said.
Israel’s expanded ground operations in recent days have killed “numerous Hamas terrorists”, and hundreds of military targets have been struck, the IDF added.
Israeli army raids several areas in occupied West Bank amid tension
Israeli forces have continued to raid several areas in the West Bank amid rising tensions in the occupied territory.
Israeli forces moved into the town of Illar north of Tulkarm amid confrontations between Palestinian fighters and Israeli soldiers, Al-Aqsa TV reported.
A joint statement by two Palestinian armed groups – the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and al-Quds Brigades – said they trapped Israeli forces in Shuweika district in Tulkarm, inflicting casualties. There was no comment yet from the Israeli army on the claim.
At least 122 Palestinians have been killed and 1,680 others detained by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank since October 7, according to Palestinian figures.
Saudi DM says discussed Gaza ceasefire with Biden adviser
Khalid bin Salman Al Saud says he “stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza” during a meeting with US National Security adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington, DC, on Monday.
The Saudi defence minister said he also pushed for the “protection of civilians, allowing humanitarian aid, and resuming the peace process”.
In a separate readout of the talks, the White House announced Sullivan “confirmed President [Joe] Biden’s commitment to support the defence of US partners against threats from state and non-state actors, including those backed by Iran”.
The meeting comes amid a series of attacks targeting US forces in the Middle East, which have prompted fears that the war in Gaza could lead to a wider escalation.
Met with @JakeSullivan46 to discuss the Saudi-US partnership. I stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, protection of civilians, allowing humanitarian aid, and resuming the peace process. We also discussed the Kingdom’s efforts in Yemen to end the crisis and achieve… pic.twitter.com/C7jRCnzfII
“Save them”: Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister pleas for UN Security Council to help Gazans
Speaking before the United Nations Security Council, the Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister shared the grim reality Palestinians in Gaza are grappling with in the wake of Israel’s ground operation.
“2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza face death every day and every night,” Palestinian Authority’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad Al-Maliki said.
“Save them. Look at them as human beings. You cannot look only at one side and ignore this tragic humanity completely.”
The foreign minister added the majority of Gazans are now homeless and displaced.
“Moving from one family home to another, from a hospital to a church, from a mosque to an UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) school. Sleeping in their cars, sleeping in the streets and still being killed wherever they go,” he said, adding that Palestinians feel like there is nowhere safe left in Gaza anymore.
Citing the Save the Children Foundation, Al-Maliki stated 3,500 Palestinian children have been killed in the conflict in just three weeks, surpassing the annual number of children killed in conflict zones worldwide since 2019.
He questioned the UN Security Council’s inaction, asking, “How many more days will you wait to say enough?” urging the council to fulfill its duty to maintain international peace and security.
The foreign minister implored the Security Council to follow the General Assembly’s example by immediately establishing a durable humanitarian truce. He insisted that the Security Council must uphold its responsibilities to end the bloodshed, which he characterized as a threat to regional and international peace and security.
On Friday, an overwhelming majority of nations – 120 countries – voted for a United Nations resolution calling for a “sustained humanitarian truce” in Gaza. The US, like Israel, has sharply criticized the effort and was one of 14 countries that voted against it on Friday.
Jordan brought the resolution to the General Assembly after successive attempts to call for ceasefires and humanitarian pauses failed in the more powerful Security Council.
Israeli ambassador to UN criticizes Security Council for not continuing to condemn Hamas for October 7 attack
Gilad Erdan, Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, criticized the UN Security Council Monday for continuing to not condemn Hamas for its October 7 attacks on Israel.
Erdan and other members of the Israeli delegation wore yellow Star of David stickers with “Never Again” written in the middle as an affront to the Security Council’s silence.
“From this day on, each time you look at me, you will remember what staying silent in the face of evil means. Just like my parents, and the grandparents of millions of Jews, my team and I will wear yellow stars,” Erdan said.
“We will wear this star until you condemn the atrocities of Hamas and demand the immediate release of our hostages,” he added.
“We walk with the yellow star as a symbol of pride, a reminder that we swore to fight back to defend ourselves.”
US ambassador to UN condemns killing of all civilians
Addressing the United Nations Security Council Monday, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield underscored the importance of protecting all civilian lives in the escalating conflict in the Middle East, saying regardless of their nationality, “a civilian is a civilian is a civilian.”
Thomas-Greenfield acknowledged the deaths of more than 60 staff members with the UN Relief and Works Agency in Gaza since the war’s onset and emphasized the need to protect not only the lives of aid workers, but also the lives of journalists living and working inside Gaza.
The ambassador underlined the need for rapid and increased humanitarian assistance, including food, fuel, water, medicine, and essential services in Gaza and called for a scaling up of these supplies. She also underscored the need for humanitarian pauses in the conflict, which could permit safe passage for civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid delivery.
The ambassador also expressed the US’ deep concern for the “significant uptick in violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.”
“We condemn the killings of Palestinian civilians – and we urge Israel to prevent these attacks, working with the Palestinian Authority,” she added.
More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, which is governed by the Palestinian Authority, since the October 7 attacks. Some have been killed by Israeli military forces and some by armed Israeli settlers living in the territory.
Thomas-Greenfield urged all members of the Security Council to work together to prevent any spillover of the crisis, and called out the General Assembly for not explicitly condemning Hamas’ actions.
“The United States will continue to engage with any Council member – with any Member State – that is committed to adopting a strong and balanced resolution,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
“But any Council product must support direct diplomacy efforts that can save lives and advance the prospects of a more peaceful and secure future for the region,” she added.
She expressed disappointment that the US-proposed resolution to the Security Council was blocked, emphasizing the importance of a unified Security Council in addressing the crisis.
At least 31 journalists killed in Israel-Gaza conflict since October 7: Committee to Protect Journalists
At least 31 journalists have lost their lives since the latest Israel-Gaza conflict began on October 7, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement.
The journalists’ death toll includes 26 Palestinians, four Israelis, and one Lebanese, CPJ said, adding that it is investigating “numerous unconfirmed reports” of missing journalists and others who may been killed, detained, injured, or threatened.
On Friday, the journalism advocacy group announced this has been the “deadliest period” for journalists covering conflict since it began tracking in 1992.
UNICEF chief: Lack of clean water in Gaza is on the verge of “becoming a catastrophe”
The chief of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued a stark warning regarding water supply in Gaza on Monday, stressing that the situation is on the verge of “becoming a catastrophe.”
Catherine Russell, whose agency provides humanitarian aid to children, outlined to the UN Security Council the devastating impact of heavy bombardment of civilian infrastructure in Gaza.
“What little clean water remains in Gaza is quickly running out, leaving more than 2 million people in dire need. We estimate that 55% of the water supply infrastructure requires repair or rehabilitation,” Russell said.
“Only one desalination plant is operating at just 5% capacity, while all six of Gaza’s water-waste treatment plants are now non-operational due to the lack of fuel or power.”
She described the current situation as being on the “verge of becoming a catastrophe,” stressing that more civilians will likely die from dehydration and waterborne illnesses unless clean water supply is restored.
In addition to the difficult environmental conditions, Russell drew attention to the “terrible trauma” being experienced by both children in Israel and Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
“We are doing our best to reach every child in need, but the delivery of humanitarian aid – especially Gaza – is now extremely challenging. This is due to both the current siege conditions imposed on Gaza, and the highly dangerous circumstances under which our staff are operating,” Russell continued.
The official added that without “an urgent end” to hostilities she fears “deeply” for the fate of the region’s children.
“I implore the Security Council to immediately adopt a resolution that reminds parties of their obligations under international law … calls for a ceasefire … demands that parties allow safe and unimpeded humanitarian access … demands the immediate and safe release of all abducted and detained children … and urges parties to afford children the special protection to which they are entitled.”
“Children do not start conflicts, and they are powerless to stop them. They need all of us …to put their safety and security at the forefront of our efforts,” she concluded.
Palestinian Red Cross Society says heavy artillery and airstrikes hit near Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza
The Al-Quds hospital trembled following heavy “artillery and airstrikes” in the surrounding Tal Al Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City, the Palestinian Red Cross Society said early Tuesday morning local time.
Those sheltering inside the hospital are “experiencing fear and panic”, the Palestinian Red Cross Society said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Some 12,000 internally displaced civilians are sheltering at the hospital, group announced on Sunday.
The Al-Quds hospital is located north of Wadi Gaza — the line south of which Israel has urged people in Gaza to flee.
Palestinian rights groups urge ICC to issue arrest warrants
Three Palestinian rights group have called on International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan to issue arrest warrants “for Israeli authorities and military personnel”.
The call by al-Haq, al-Mezan, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights comes a day after Khan visited the Rafah border crossing and urged Israel to make “discernible efforts” to ensure civilians access to food and medicine.
Shawan Jabarin, al-Haq’s general director, stated Khan’s visit to Rafah contributes to maintaining what “little hope is left in the Palestinian people and signals a commitment on the Prosecutor’s part to take action, which we hope will be expeditiously undertaken without any further delays”.
Israeli strike damages Gaza’s leading cancer hospital: Hospital director
An Israeli attack has damaged the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, Gaza’s leading cancer hospital, director Sobhi Skaik told CNN on Monday.
The building suffered a direct hit to the third floor, Skaik said, causing damage to oxygen and water supplies but no injuries to people inside.
“The most severe damage is the anxiety and panic that afflicts patients,” Skaik continued, adding, “Today, there were people who fled the hospital because of what they saw.”
The hospital, which is located just to the south of Gaza City, was funded by the Turkish government, which expressed its anger over the strike in a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
“There is no explanation for such an attack, even though all necessary information, including the coordinates of the institution in question … was shared with the Israeli authorities in advance,” said officials in Ankara, Turkey’s capital.
Director Skaik stated 200 people worked at the hospital, treating thousands of patients from across the strip each year.
He added the international community needed to do more to protect those most in need.
“We hope that a cancer patient will not be killed in a hospital bed as a result of airstrikes.”
Separately, Dr. Ateh Al Kahlout, the director the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, told CNN the building and its immediate vicinity had been shelled four times over the course of the day.
The hospital is in the northeast corner of the Gaza strip, which has come under some of the most sustained Israeli attacks since October 7.
Health officials have previously reported medical teams being unable to enter or exit the building due to damage from air strikes.
The hospital continues to be operating below full capacity, Al Kahlout told CNN, while at the same time it continues to provide shelter to thousands of displaced people.
Hundreds killed in attacks on health sector in Gaza: WHO
At least 491 people were killed and 372 were injured in attacks on the health sector in Gaza since October 7, according to a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday.
Out of the casualties, at least 16 health workers lost their lives and 30 were injured while on duty, WHO said, adding that 82 attacks on healthcare facilities have been documented in the enclave.
Since the first attack by Hamas, 28 ambulances have also been damaged and 36 health facilities have been affected, the statement read.
WHO further announced another 118 attacks on the health sector in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have been documented, killing three and injuring 15 health personnel on duty since October 7.
UN humanitarian chief has ‘real fears’ for Gaza
The UN’s Humanitarian chief expressed “real fears” about what comes next in Gaza as Israel press ahead with its ground invasion amid calls for a ceasefire.
“We have very real fears about what lies ahead,” Martin Griffiths said on Monday, adding, “The current situation in Gaza may pale in comparison with what is to come.”
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
Griffiths called the trickle of aid going into the besieged enclave via the Rafah border crossing “a drop in the ocean compared to the vast scale of needs.”
“It is imperative that we are able get humanitarian supplies and relief into Gaza safely, reliably, without impediment, and at the scale required,” he stated.
New Israeli leaflets dropped on Gaza urge civilians to evacuate a “battlefield”
Israeli aircraft have dropped new leaflets in Arabic over Gaza, warning people in northern and central parts of the strip that “the governorate of Gaza has become a battlefield.”
“Shelters in the north of the Gaza Strip and the governorate of Gaza have become unsafe,” according to the leaflet.
“Hamas and the terrorist organizations are using the shelters, hospitals and schools in this area. Therefore, your presence in these places is not safe,” the flier continued.
“You must immediately evacuate and move to the humanitarian area to the south of Wadi Gaza,” the leaflet concluded, referring to a waterway that bisects the enclave.
WHO unable to resupply Shifa and al-Quds hospitals: Official
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced it has not been able to resupply two hospitals in northern Gaza, Shifa and al-Quds, because the UN deemed the level of risk unacceptable.
“It’s a disaster on top of a disaster. Health needs are soaring and our ability to meet those needs is rapidly declining,” said Rick Brennan, WHO’s regional emergencies director, adding a ceasefire was needed to enable a larger humanitarian operation.
A third of Gaza’s hospitals and 71 percent of clinics are nonfunctioning, he stated.
WHO is continuing to resupply hospitals and clinics in southern Gaza, but relief delivered so far overall in the Strip is a “drop in the ocean”, Brennan added.
‘What happened and continues to happen is forced displacement’: UNRWA chief
Commissioner general of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini told the UN Security Council that Israel’s “relentless bombardment” of Gaza has led to an “unprecedented” level of destruction.
“Now, civilians remaining in the north are receiving evacuation notices from the Israeli forces, urging them south to receive scarce humanitarian assistance. But many, including pregnant women, people with disabilities, the sick and the wounded, are unable to move,” he said.
“What happened and continues to happen is forced displacement.”
Lazzarini added that hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced Palestinians in Gaza are living in “appalling” conditions, with limited food and water.
“Hunger and despair are turning into anger against the international community and in Gaza, the international community is better known as UNRWA.”
An immediate humanitarian ceasefire has become “a matter of life and death for millions,” the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees has warned.
‘Nowhere safe’ for Palestinian patients to go amid Israel’s hospital evacuation push: UN official
Lisa Doughten of the Office for the UN Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says “life hangs by a thread” for premature Palestinian newborns and patients relying on dialysis in hospitals in the Gaza Strip that are facing a lack of fuel.
“Some 9,000 cancer patients are not receiving adequate care,” she told the UN Security Council, expressing concern over the Israeli military’s warnings to evacuate healthcare facilities in the besieged enclave.
“There is nowhere safe for these patients to go, and for those on life support and babies on incubators, moving will certainly be a death sentence,” she added.
10 UN workers killed in Gaza the last 72 hours, bringing total to 63: Relief agency
In just the past three days, 10 United Nations staff members have been killed in Gaza, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said Monday.
That brings the total number of UNRWA staff killed in Gaza since October 7 to 63, the agency confirmed.
The UNRWA, which runs the “largest humanitarian operation” in the Gaza Strip, also described dire conditions at its network of schools that are sheltering displaced Gazans.
“The average number of IDPs (internally displaced persons) per shelter has almost reached four times their intended capacity,” UNRWA added.
Overcrowded conditions “create severe health and protection concerns for IDPs and place a “heavy toll on their mental health,” the agency stressed.
More than 511,000 people are sheltering in 92 shelters — an increase of about 13,000 internally displaced persons since the UNRWA’s last update.
Several incidents of collateral damage to UNRWA premises have also been observed in the past 72 hours, the agency noted.
Hamas responds to Israeli soldier release claim, call Israeli presence in Gaza City ‘photo op’
A Hamas official has pushed back against Israel’s claim that it has freed a soldier who had been held captive by the group in Gaza, saying that it was an attempt to take attention away from a video the group had released earlier showing three captives calling for the Israeli government to do more for their release.
Izzat al-Rishq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, stated that “no one believed” the Israeli government’s narrative, not even Israelis themselves.
For his part, Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif al-Qanou said that the presence of Israeli tanks on the outskirts of Gaza City earlier on Monday was a “photo opportunity to restore the prestige of their army”.
Al-Qanou added that only a limited number of Israeli tanks had entered Gaza, under the cover of aircraft and tank fire.
Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas rescued during ground operation: IDF
A female Israeli soldier who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 has been rescued during ground operations in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces announced.
An IDF spokesperson said they initially misspoke when they said she had been released from Hamas. The initial IDF announcement was a translation error as she had been “actively rescued” with “boots on the ground” in a joint operation between the IDF and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA), or Shin Bet, IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus stated on Tuesday local time.
“Based on intelligence” the Israeli special forces went into northern Gaza knowing her whereabouts and rescued her, Conricus added.
“They were in there for a job,” Conricus said, adding that he is happy with the results as Pvt. Ori Megidish is “well mentally and physically” and reunited with her family.
He stated that Megidish has also provided information about her captivity with Israeli intelligence officers which “can be used for the future.”
Conricus did not share if there were other such operations planned based on existing intelligence on the exact whereabouts of the remaining hostages, but told CNN “we are definitely committed to get all of our 238 hostages currently held by Hamas in Gaza, all of them, to get them home.”
He alleged that Hamas is indulging in psychological warfare by using hostages as leverage.
Conricus pushed back on claims that Israel’s ground operations in northern Gaza would potentially have a negative impact on hostage negotiations, saying that based on the rescue of Pvt. Ori Megidish, “I would argue that the reality on the ground dictates differently.”
Conricus, who did not rule out other potential hostage rescue missions in the future, added that Israeli forces on the ground are expecting “fierce resistance” and “tunnel warfare, booby traps, IEDS, anti-tank mines, snipers, and many other things,” but so far “progress is good.”
He stated that the Israeli military is making “considerable efforts, now in the ground warfare, to distinguish between combatants and non-combatant,” adding that they are “moving slowly and deliberately.”
Islamic Jihad: ‘Resistance’ will continue fighting Israel’s ground operation
Spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s armed wing, announced in a statement that the “resistance” in all its factions will continue to confront Israel’s ground operation.
“We say to the families of captives that your government is risking the lives of your children to gain time,” Abu Hamza said.
“Every minute that passes is a threat to the lives of its prisoners,” he added, referring to the Israeli government.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement says Israel’s recent attempt to invade the besieged Gaza Strip was futile and failed to achieve any of the occupying regime’s goals.
The Gaza-based resistance movement also announced in a statement on Monday that the Israeli regime’s attempted ground offensive against the coastal sliver had failed to yield any results and the occupation troops had only targeted “open areas” in the besieged strip.
“The Zionist invasion of Gaza began a few days ago, and the enemy was not able to achieve anything other than targeting open areas,” the statement said, adding, “The enemy infiltrated into open areas in Gaza with air cover, which led to crimes against civilians.”
The Islamic Jihad also stressed that the Palestinian resistance would press ahead with its efforts to thwart Israel’s plots and confront its aggression.
“The resistance has been steadfast in this field and continues its struggle and can neutralize the plans and goals of the enemy,” the statement said, adding, “During this infiltration, the enemy received blows from the resistance.”
In a new report, it says the impact of the conflict has been limited so far, with oil prices rising about 6% and prices of other commodities – such as food and metals – barely moving.
The Bank adds the global economy is much better-placed to cope with a major oil price move than in the 1970s, but cautions that an escalation of the conflict – combined with the disruptions from the Russian invasion of Ukraine – could lead to a dual shock.
If the conflict escalates, the Bank has laid out three possible scenarios for oil prices, depending on the degree of disruption to oil supplies.
In a “small disruption scenario”, similar to that resulting from the Libyan civil war in 2011, it says oil prices could jump to as much as $103 a barrel.
In a “medium disruption scenario”, which the World Bank says would be equivalent to the Iraq war in 2003, oil prices could jump as much as 35% to $121 a barrel.
A “large disruption scenario” – which the Bank says would be comparable to the Arab oil embargo in 1973 – would see oil prices climb up to 75% higher, at $157 a barrel.
“The latest conflict in the Middle East comes on the heels of the biggest shock to commodity markets since the 1970s — Russia’s war with Ukraine,” the World Bank’s chief economist Indermit Gill stated.
“If the conflict were to escalate, the global economy would face a dual energy shock for the first time in decades — not just from the war in Ukraine but also from the Middle East.”
The World Bank also warned higher oil prices would lead to higher food prices, increasing food insecurity across the world.
“We’re certainly going to act — if we have to— to continue to protect our troops and our facilities. We have proven that we will strike and act to do that. And that’s a strong message that Iran needs to take away. We take those responsibilities seriously,” stated John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications.
“We also take our national security interest writ large in the region very seriously, which is why the president has now employed two aircraft carrier strike groups … We’ve got to make sure we send a signal to all actors, not just Iran, but all actors, certainly Iran included, that we will take our national security interest very seriously. We will protect and defend our troops. And we’ll do it at a time in a manner of our choosing,” he told CNN.
US forces have been attacked 20 times throughout Iraq and Syria since October 17, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder has confirmed in a statement on Friday.
Washington has accused Iran-backed militias, but admitted there is no evidence to pin blame on Tehran’s leadership for ordering the strikes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has denied that Iran had instructed groups in Syria and Iraq to target US troops in recent days.
He stated it was Washington — not Tehran — that was fanning the violence in the region.
“The US could face dire consequences in the Middle East if it continues to support Israel,” Amiradbollahian stressed, adding that Washington “is advising others to show self-restraint, but it has sided with Israel totally”.
“If the United States continues what it has been doing so far, then new fronts will be opened up against the United States.”
He also cautioned that the continued bloodshed in Gaza “will make the situation get out of control in the region.”
“The American side should decide – does it really want to escalate, intensify the war?” he asked.
The foreign minister went on to deny that Iran had instructed militant groups in Iraq and Syria to attack the US, insisting that they were acting on their own.
“They’re not receiving any orders from us, any instructions,” he noted.
Iran has repeatedly warned the United States against any act of mischief in the region.
Hamas on Monday released a video that it said shows three women it has been holding captive.
In the 76-second clip, One of the three women filmed in the video addressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, criticizing the Israeli government in Hebrew for failing to protect people during Hamas’s attack on October 7 and calls for Tel Aviv to undertake a prisoner swap.
The unnamed prisoner rebuked the premier for purportedly rejecting a ceasefire with Hamas that could facilitate their release.
“Netanyahu has failed politically and militarily, and we demand that he return all the prisoners immediately,” she said.
“The day before yesterday there were discussions about a ceasefire and the release of everyone, but Netanyahu backed down.”
The video ended with a passionate appeal to Netanyahu to bring back all prisoners “now, now, now”.
Israel announced at least 239 people are being held captive.
The Israeli prime minister’s office has issued a statement in response to the video, saying, “This is a cruel psychological propaganda by Hamas-Daesh.”
“We are embracing the families. We will do everything to return all the kidnapped and missing people home,” it added.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian had a phone conversation on Monday morning with the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States Richard Gallagher on the Israeli regime’s ongoing strikes on the Palestinian people, stressing that finding a political solution for the issue should be expedited.
During the phone conversation, the Iranian foreign minister touched on the content of the letter he recently sent to the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and appreciated the responsible stance adopted by his counterpart in the Vatican as well as the Pope and stressed the trend has to continue.
Amirabdollahian stated, “In the current situation, there are two paths ahead of us; one, the path of trying to find a political solution – and we are still making efforts and holding talks in this path – and the other one is the continuation of the war and the possibility of spreading its scope.”
The Iranian foreign minister also expressed, “We believe that the Palestinian crisis should fundamentally be resolved and the political solution is holding a referendum under the aegis of the United Nations among all the original residents of Palestine, including Christians, Jews and Muslims.”
For his part, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, while emphasizing on the political solution, clarified the Vatican’s views on stopping the conflict and delivering humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza.
Gallagher stressed that a political solution can prevent the expansion of the war.
More than 8,000 people have died and 22,000 others injured during Israel’s unabated strikes on Gaza over the past three weeks.
Palestinian sources told Al Jazeera on Monday that Israeli tanks made an incursion towards Salah al-Din Street, in the middle of the Gaza City governorate, a distance of about 3km (1.8 miles) from the Gaza fence.
Heavy clashes were reported in the area.
Later on Monday, Salama Maarouf, the head of the Hamas government office in Gaza, stated the Israeli tanks had retreated from the outskirts of Gaza City.
“There’s absolutely no ground advance inside the residential neighbourhoods in the Gaza Strip. What happened on Salah al-Din Street was the incursion of a few occupation army tanks and a bulldozer,” Maarouf said in a statement.
“These vehicles targeted two civilian cars on Salah al-Din Street and bulldozed the street before the resistance forced them to retreat. There is currently no presence of occupation army vehicles on Salah al-Din Road, and citizen movement has returned to normal on the road,” he added.
Israel has on several occasions warned the 1.1 million people living in northern Gaza, including Gaza City, to head south to avoid its military strikes as it pushes ahead with a mission to “destroy” Hamas, the group that rules the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Although huge numbers of people have left in recent weeks, tens of thousands more are believed to be still in the zone.
Since Friday, Israeli forces have stepped up their ground offensive as part of the military response to the October 7 Hamas attacks that Israeli officials say killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, with another 240 people taken as captives.
The health ministry in Gaza says more than 8,000 people, mostly civilians and more than half of them children, have since been killed in Israeli air and ground attacks.
The Israeli army claimed troops killed “dozens” of Hamas fighters in overnight clashes, adding they had “barricaded themselves inside buildings and tunnels and attempted to attack the troops”.
The Israeli military also announced it hit “weapons depots, dozens of anti-tank missile launching positions, as well as hideouts and staging grounds used by Hamas.
Israel sent more ground forces into Gaza overnight, according to Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.
“Additional forces have entered the strip. Our activity there is only set to intensify,” he said during a daily morning briefing.
Israel over the weekend announced it had entered a “second stage” of its war against Hamas and on Sunday said its ground operation in Gaza would intensify, following weeks of aerial strikes on the besieged territory.
Daoud Shehab, a senior leader in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, has pledged that its fighters will continue to fight as Israeli forces carry out ground operations within Gaza.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, Shehab said that the “enemy” was now stationed in empty areas on the outskirts of Palestinian territory and “is getting attacked” by “resistance groups”.
“Israel will not score a victory at the expense of the Palestinian people,” he added.
Addressing a gathering in the Iranian capital Tehran on Monday, Major General Hossein Salami said Israel feels embarrassed that a group of under-equipped fighters from the Gaza Strip, reeling from a blockade for 17 years, managed to incur a heavy loss on the regime.
General Salami said the Israelis “thought as the U.S., Britain, Germany and France support them, no one can reach them… They thought they had a sophisticated security apparatus and everything was under their control and no movement would be hidden from their eyes. They imagined that they had a powerful army and could sleep peacefully with these illusions.”
The Iranian commander also noted that the occupying regime has amassed tanks near the Gaza border but does not dare enter the besieged land to launch a ground combat with the resistance fighters.
“The arrogant powers in every part of the Islamic world stabbed the body of Islam with a dagger. In the east of Islam, they created the Zionist regime and in other parts they created a Takfiri community. They want to show that it is impossible to live peacefully without relying on Western countries,” General Salami underlined.
