LAST UPDATE | 16 Oct 2023
THE LETHAL AERIAL bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli military is continuing ahead of an expected ground invasion.
More than one million people have fled their homes following an Israeli order to move to the south of the tiny Mediterranean enclave.
It’s estimated that at least 2,750 people, mainly civilians, have been killed by the Israeli air assault which was unleashed after the Hamas attack on civilians in south Israel that killed more than 1,400 people.
There have been calls from humanitarian groups and some nations for the opening of a border crossing between Gaza and Egypt to allow aid into the besieged strip.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today that the EU will launch a humanitarian air corridor to Gaza through Egypt with the first flights expected this week.
A spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing this evening said the threat of an Israeli ground invasion of the blockaded Gaza Strip “doesn’t scare us and we are ready for it”.
Here are the latest developments as they happened today:
Good morning.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office Monday denied reports of a ceasefire in Gaza that would enable aid to enter and foreigners to flee to Egypt, 10 days into the war with Hamas.
“There is currently no ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza in return for removing foreigners,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.
Succinct message from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office this morning: pic.twitter.com/UCkQiJ3pVk
— Alistair Bunkall (@AliBunkallSKY) October 16, 2023
It’s been confirmed that around 40 Irish citizens are in the besieged Gaza Strip awaiting help to evacuate.
As humanitarian workers call for urgent corridors to be established to allow supplies to flow in and residents to flee, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met with French President Emmanuel Macron last night to discuss the two countries’ approach to evacuating citizens.
Speaking to RTÉ News, Varadkar said that he and Macron discussed the need for humanitarian corridors as Israel continues to strike Gaza and essential supplies such as food, water, electricity and medicines run short.
“We also talked about our various citizens who are in Gaza and how we might assist each other in evacuating them if needs be,” the Taoiseach said.
I think it’s fair to say that we have a shared view on the situation and how it might develop. We’re both very concerned about escalation and the situation getting worse and maybe spreading to the West Bank or Lebanon.
The United States’ top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, has been travelling all around the region as part of efforts to keep the conflict contained with Israel and Palestine.
Blinken held talks in six Arab states over the last four days but today returns to Tel Aviv in Israel.
“I want an opportunity to share everything that I’ve heard — that I’ve learned — over the last few days visiting with our other partners and to talk about the way forward with our Israeli allies and friends,” Blinken told reporters yesterday in Cairo.
“Civilians should not have to suffer for Hamas’s atrocities.”
The Biden administration has said that Israel has a right to respond and has stopped short of calling for restraint or a ceasefire.
Blinken’s meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had a huge bocus on Gaza’s border cross with Egypt.
Media reports had said Israel, Egypt and the United States had agreed the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt would be opened for several hours today in a one-off move to allow foreign nationals to flee and aid goods to enter.
How this was refuted by Netanyahu’s statement earlier.
Aid convoys have waited on the Egyptian side but, according to witnesses, had not left the town of El-Arish, about 40 km east of Rafah.
The Israeli military has raised the figure to 199 people confirmed to have been abducted by Hamas to the Gaza Strip in the militants’ cross-border attacks which sparked a devastating war.
“We have updated the families of 199 hostages,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari told a media briefing, revising up an earlier number of 155 captives.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Israel tomorrow to show solidarity in the wake of the deadly attack by Hamas militants on October 7, German media has reported.
It would be the first visit by a foreign head of state to Israel since the assault.
Scholz has pledged full support for Israel, saying last week that Germany’s “only place” right now “is at Israel’s side”.
It’s Órla Ryan here, taking over the liveblog from Rónán Duffy.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to Israel today after talks in six Arab states, hoping to coordinate efforts against Hamas while finding ways to alleviate Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
Just four days after he paid a visit to Tel Aviv to show solidarity, Blinken landed back in the city and is expected to meet leaders in Jerusalem as Israel prepares a major ground operation in the Gaza Strip.
“I want an opportunity to share everything that I’ve heard — that I’ve learned — over the last few days visiting with our other partners and to talk about the way forward with our Israeli allies and friends,” Blinken told reporters yesterday in Cairo.
US officials say Blinken heard wide opposition to Hamas from leaders during his tour — but also concern on the plight of the Palestinians.
“I made clear that it cannot be — must not be — business as usual with Hamas going forward,” Blinken said in Cairo.
“And at the same time, as I said, we’re determined to do everything we can to address the needs of people in Gaza,” he said.
“Civilians should not have to suffer for Hamas’s atrocities.”
Under US pressure, Israel yesterday resumed the supply of water to the southern Gaza Strip after earlier vowing to keep out all supplies of food, water and energy to the densely-populated territory.
The United States also named a coordinator to spearhead humanitarian relief into Gaza, retired ambassador David Satterfield, who is expected to arrive in Israel today.
The Biden administration has said that Israel has a right to respond and has stopped short of calling for restraint or a ceasefire.
But it has also warned against more extreme measures such as mass expulsion of Palestinians, a prospect feared by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, a Hamas rival based in the West Bank.
Biden, in an interview broadcast on the CBS News show 60 Minutes yesterday, cautioned of dangers in any bid by Israel to reoccupy Gaza.
“I think it would be a mistake,” the US president said.
Biden is apparently considering an invitation to visit Israel, AFP reports.
Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005. Shortly thereafter, Israel imposed an air, land and sea blockade of the territory that was intensified after it came under the control of Hamas, considered a terrorist group by Israel and the United States.
Blinken held talks in four of the five Arab states with diplomatic relations with Israel — Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
He also visited Saudi Arabia, which put its own normalisation bid with Israel on hold after the violence, and Qatar, a US partner that maintains relations with Hamas.
More than a million people have fled their homes in the besieged Gaza Strip in the past week, ahead of an expected Israeli invasion that seeks to eliminate Hamas’ leadership after its deadly attack.
The enclave’s food and water supplies are dwindling, with its hospitals warning that they are on the verge of collapse.
Israeli forces, supported by a growing deployment of US warships in the region and the call-up of some 360,000 reservists, have positioned themselves along Gaza’s border and prepared for what Israel said would be a broad campaign to dismantle the militant group.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will address MPs later today about the escalating crisis in Israel and Gaza, as politicians return to Westminster, PA News reports.
Palestinians in Gaza remain braced for an imminent Israeli invasion, a week after Hamas militants launched a deadly assault on the country.
Sunak earlier reiterated his government’s support for the Jewish community, after a weekend that saw growing international efforts to stop the conflict escalating further.
The Arab League chief has called for an immediate end to military operations in the Gaza Strip and for aid to be allowed into to the impoverished Palestinian enclave.
“We demand the immediate end of military operations and the opening of safe corridors to bring aid to the population,” Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said during a meeting with Arab justice ministers in Baghdad today.
Eleven Palestinian journalists have been killed in the war in Gaza since Israel launched its blistering air campaign on the coastal enclave, the Palestinian journalists’ union said today.
Twenty other journalists have also been injured in the conflict since it erupted on 7 October.
Scores of foreigners have been killed, wounded or taken hostage after Hamas attacked Israel last week, leaving more than 1,400 people dead in Israel.
Gaza Strip health authorities have reported that more than 2,750 people have been killed in retaliatory Israeli strikes.
According to an AFP count, more than 160 foreigners have been confirmed dead by their national authorities, many of whom also held Israeli nationality.
Some 199 people have been confirmed to have been abducted, the Israeli military said today.
Here is what we know so far:
United States: 30 dead, others abducted, missing
At least 30 US citizens have been killed since the Hamas attack last week, a State Department spokesperson said on Sunday. Another 13 American nationals are unaccounted for, the spokesperson said.
An unspecified number of Americans are believed to have been abducted.
Thailand: 28 dead, 17 hostages
Twenty-eight Thais have been killed, the foreign ministry said on Sunday, with the circumstances unclear in some cases.
The foreign ministry said 17 people are thought to have been abducted, while the number of wounded remained unchanged at 16.
About 30,000 Thais work in Israel, most in the agricultural sector, according to government figures.
France: 19 dead, 13 missing
Nineteen French nationals have been killed, while 13 others remain missing, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said yesterday at the end of her visit to Israel.
Russia: 16 dead, eight missing
At least 16 Russians have been killed and another eight are missing, the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv said in an update on Saturday.
At least one Russian citizen who also holds Israeli citizenship is being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas, the embassy added.
Nepal: 10 dead
Ten Nepali citizens were killed in Kibbutz Alumim, the Himalayan republic’s embassy in Tel Aviv said.
The kibbutz was hosting 17 students at the time of the attack.
Argentina: Seven dead, 15 missing
Argentina’s foreign ministry confirmed that seven nationals had been killed and 15 others were missing.
Ukraine: Seven dead, nine missing
The foreign ministry said on Thursday that the number of Ukrainians killed had risen to seven, with another nine missing and nine wounded.
Canada: Five dead, three missing
Ottawa has said that five Canadians have been killed and three others are missing.
Chile: Four dead, one missing
A Chilean woman has been killed, authorities said.
A kibbutz resident has been reported missing, according to the foreign ministry.
China: Four dead, two missing
China’s foreign ministry said today that four Chinese nationals were killed and two were missing.
Romania: Four dead, one missing
Romania announced on Saturday the death of four nationals, including an Israeli-Romanian soldier. One other Romanian is still missing.
UK: Four dead
Two Britons have been confirmed dead by their families, and the Israeli embassy in London on Wednesday confirmed two more.
The BBC has said that 17 Britons, including children, are dead or missing, a figure that has not been confirmed by the government.
Austria: Three dead, two missing
Three Israeli-Austrians were killed in the attacks, authorities said. Two others remain missing.
Belarus: Three dead, one missing
The Belarusian embassy in Tel Aviv said three of its citizens had died and another was missing.
Brazil: Three dead
The foreign ministry said on Friday a Brazilian woman had been killed, bringing the total number of deaths to three.
Philippines: Three dead, three missing
The Philippines foreign ministry has said a 49-year-old woman was killed at the music festival.
Previously authorities said a 33-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man had been killed at a kibbutz.
Three nationals remain missing.
Peru: Two dead, five missing
Two Peruvians were killed and five missing, the authorities said.
South Africa: Two dead
The South African government announced that two of its nationals had been killed.
Australia: One dead
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Wednesday that an Australian woman had been killed in the attacks.
Azerbaijan: One dead
The foreign ministry has said that one Azerbaijani national had been killed.
Cambodia: One dead
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet said one Cambodian student had been killed.
Colombia: One dead, one missing
Bogota announced the death of one Colombian and said another was missing.
Honduras: one dead
Honduran authorities confirmed on Friday the death of one of its nationals.
Ireland: One dead
Kim Damti, a 22-year-old Israeli-Irish woman died in the attacks, the Irish government confirmed on Wednesday.
Portugal: One dead, four missing
One Portuguese national was killed and four were missing, Foreign Minister Gomes Cravinho said on Wednesday.
Spain: One dead, one missing
The foreign ministry said on Wednesday that one Spanish citizen had been killed.
A Spaniard married to a Chilean was missing, according to Chilean authorities.
Switzerland: One dead
An Israeli-Swiss national was killed in the 7 October attack.
Turkey: One dead, one missing
Ankara confirmed on Friday that a Turkish-Israeli citizen, who had moved to Israel with his family in 1972, had been killed.
Another was missing.
Germany: At least eight hostages
The German government reported on Saturday “eight known cases” of hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas. The foreign ministry said later that each case could include several people, such as members of the same family.
Mexico: Two hostages
Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena wrote on social media that two Mexicans, a man and a woman, had been taken hostage.
Italy: Three missing
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday that three Israeli-Italians were missing.
Paraguay: Two missing
Two Paraguayan nationals who had been living in Israel are missing, the government said.
Sri Lanka: Two missing
Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Israel said on Tuesday that two nationals, a 48-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman, were missing.
Tanzania: Two missing
Tanzania’s ambassador to Israel told AFP two Tanzanian nationals were missing.
Egypt and France’s foreign ministers today urged for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the exit of foreign nationals from the bombarded Gaza Strip to be allowed, on the tenth day of war between Israel and Hamas.
“Those who want to leave Gaza must be able to do so,” French foreign minister Catherine Colonna said, urging the opening of crossing points.
Egypt controls the Rafah border crossing, the only passage in and out of Gaza not controlled by Israel.
A US official had told AFP on Saturday that Egypt and Israel had reached an agreement for American citizens to leave through Rafah.
But Cairo’s top diplomat Sameh Shoukry told reporters today that Egypt had “repeated its request to Israeli authorities for humanitarian aid to pass through”.
Shoukry said there was “nothing new, which is a dangerous matter considering the new needs that the Palestinian people in Gaza are being exposed to”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement today that “there is currently no ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza in return for removing foreigners”.
Crossing remains closed
The crossing currently remains closed, locking convoys of aid on one side of the border, and fleeing Palestinians and foreigners on the other, according to AFP correspondents and witnesses.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel has declared a “complete siege”, cutting off basic supplies to the territory’s more than two million people.
Egypt was the first Arab state to forge a peace deal with Israel in 1979 and has historically played a key role in mediating between Israeli and Palestinian officials, particularly during conflicts with Hamas.
Colonna said today that the “weight of the conflict must not fall on Egypt”, which has been called on to accept refugees from Gaza.
Cairo has rejected the call, warning of a fresh forced displacement of Palestinians and instead urging restraint and diplomatic efforts for deescalation.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has condemned some incidents at pro-Palestinian marches in Britain at the weekend as “simply not acceptable” after police made several arrests.
“There is no place in our society for anti-Semitism and we will do everything we can to stamp it out. And where it happens, it will be met with the full force of the law,” Sunak said during a visit to a Jewish school in London, AFP reports.
London’s Metropolitan Police force said on Sunday evening that 15 people were arrested at Saturday’s pro-Palestinian protest in the centre of the British capital.
Three men were subsequently charged with committing crimes, including a 68-year-old man suspected of making racist comments. The other two were charged with illegal knife possession and failing to remove a face covering.
“They’ve made several arrests but they’re also now reviewing footage of some of the things that many people would have seen that are just simply not acceptable, and where they can they will be able to make further arrests,” Sunak added.
Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in London and other UK cities in support of Palestinians on Saturday.
The UK government and British police have said that they have noted a spike in anti-Semitic crime and incidents in Britain since the Hamas attack on 7 October.
European Council President Charles Michel has convened an extraordinary EC meeting, to discuss the Israel-Hamas war.
The meeting is due to be held by video conference at 5.30pm Central European Time (4.30pm Irish time) tomorrow.
In a statement, Michel said: “It is of utmost importance that the European Council, in line with the Treaties and our values, sets our common position and establishes a clear unified course of action that reflects the complexity of the unfolding situation.”
Israel has the right to defend itself in full compliance with international humanitarian law.
— Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) October 15, 2023
We reiterate the importance of the provision of urgent humanitarian aid.
This conflict has many consequences, including for the EU.
The Union has always been and must always be a… pic.twitter.com/1ffMMJmW3Z
Yesterday European Council members adopted a statement that sets out the EU’s “common position” on the unfolding situation in the Middle East.
It states: “The European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms Hamas and its brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks across Israel and deeply deplores the loss of lives. There is no justification for terror…
“The EU stands in full solidarity with the people of Israel and the victims of the terrorist attacks. Israel has the right to defend itself in full compliance with international law, in particular international humanitarian law.”
European Council members called on Hamas to immediately release all hostages without any precondition.
They also reiterated the importance of the provision of urgent humanitarian aid and said they “stand ready to continue supporting those civilians most in need in Gaza, in coordination with partners”.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has warned that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is “fast becoming catastrophic” with “severely limited” access to water, food and medicine.
The humanitarian crisis in #Gaza is fast becoming catastrophic.
— UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) October 16, 2023
🔴 Lack of shelter for growing number of internally displaced people
🔴 Severely limited access to water, food and medicines
🔴 Hospitals and ambulances running out of fuel
Latest update: https://t.co/w1ICYZBGud pic.twitter.com/jCeAYhbMxZ
US President Joe Biden has cancelled a planned visit to Colorado, fuelling more speculation he will visit Israel, AFP reports.
I’ll now hand the liveblog back to my colleague Rónán Duffy.
Good afternoon, Rónán Duffy writing updates for the next while.
In the last hour, the Arab League’s Secretary-General has demanded an end to military operations in the Gaza Strip.
“We demand the immediate end of military operations and the opening of safe corridors to bring aid to the population,” Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said during an Arab justice ministers meeting in Baghdad.
Aboul Gheit said Israel’s total siege of Gaza which has cut off water, food, electricity and fuel, was “depriving the Palestinians of their humanity and paving the way for ethnic cleansing”.
International response
Amid the increasing suggestions that Biden is set to visit Israel this week, it as also been confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold separate telephone calls today with the Israeli Prime Minister and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas is based in the West Bank and his organisation does not control Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas.
In the UK, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will today speak about the Israel-Hamas conflict in the House of Commons today at 3.30pm.
Ahead of Putin’s phonecall, the Kremlin has said that Putin will use his call to seek an ‘immediate ceasefire’ in the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Amid the military build up, it’s worth remembering that Israel’s Netanyahu-led government was not popular before the Hamas attack and that many blame him for it happening.
Protest in Tel Aviv calls for Prime Minister Netanyahu to resign.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 16, 2023
Local media reported the protest was started by a family member of a hostage but soon grew to dozens of people.
Read more: https://t.co/zKQDKhsVDu pic.twitter.com/yZ1QOVY4n2
UN relief agency in Gaza UNRWA has said that it had fuel and medical equipment take from them in Gaza City yesterday.
UNRWA says says that its supplies were for “strictly humanitarian purposes”:
UNRWA received reports that yesterday a group of people with trucks purporting to be from the Ministry of Health of the de facto authorities in Gaza, removed fuel and medical equipment from the Agency’s compound in Gaza City.
“Our staff were compelled to evacuate UNRWA headquarters in #Gaza city on a few hours’ notice during the night of Friday 13 October.”
“Since then, UNRWA has had no access to the compound and no additional details about the removal of the assets.”
On the repercussions for Netanyahu within Israel following the Hamas surprise attack nine days ago, a poll published by The Jerusalem Post has found that an overwhelming majority of 86% of respondents blamed his government for the attack.
“The survey, which polled 620 Israeli Jews from across the country, also found that a majority of respondents believed Netanyahu should resign following the conclusion of Operation Swords of Iron,” the paper reported.
A ship evacuating US nationals from Israel left for Cyprus from the Israeli port of Haifa today, as war raged between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
With Israel now moving towards a ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave, the US embassy had yesterday urged its “citizens and their immediate family members with a valid travel document” to depart from Haifa on Monday.
The cruise ship is expected to reach the southern port city of Limassol on Tuesday morning, it was not immediately clear how many passengers had boarded the ship.
While evacuations from Israel have been ongoing, evacuations from Gaza are currently next to impossible.
Humanitarian workers have called for urgent corridors to be established to allow supplies to flow in and residents to flee. Around 40 Irish are in the besieged Gaza Strip awaiting help to evacuate, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed yesterday.
Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group has said it has started destroying CCTV cameras on several Israeli army posts along the border as tension rises in light of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Hezbollah’s military media arm released a video showing snipers shooting at and destroying cameras on five points along the Lebanon-Israel border, including one outside the Israeli town of Metula.
The militant group appears to want to prevent the Israeli army from monitoring movements on the Lebanese side of the border after days of fire exchange that left at least seven people dead, including four Hezbollah fighters, on the Lebanese side.
The president of the European Council has warned that the conflict could have “major security consequences” for societies with the potential to worsen tensions between communities and to feed extremism.
Charles Michel was speaking this morning ahead of tomorrow’s extraordinary European Council meeting to discuss the Middle East conflict.
Leaders are expected to address a range of issues, including providing humanitarian assistance and avoiding a regional escalation of the conflict and any breaches of humanitarian law.
Speaking further, he gave his backing to Israel.
“We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” Michel said. “We stand in full solidarity with the people of Israel and Israel has the right to defend itself, in full compliance with international law and international humanitarian law.”
Planning is underway for more meetings involving state figureheads as nations try to grapple with the consequences of the conflict.
Leaders in Qatar and Kuwait have reportedly received invitations for a summit in Cairo this Saturday to “discuss developments and the future of the Palestinian cause and the peace process”.
State media in both countries announced the invitations a day after Cairo announced its intention to host the summit during a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Egypt — historically a key mediator between Hamas and Israel — has been pushing diplomatic efforts, urging “restraint” and a return to the political process.
The Gulf Cooperation Council – comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – also announced today it would hold an extraordinary meeting of its foreign ministers tomorrow to discuss the conflict.
The actions of senior EU leaders around the war have done “untold damage” to the European Union and undermine its credibility, according to Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus.
In a statement, MacManus said he is “deeply concerned” at the actions of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola in “overstepping” their mandates.
Both have expressed support to Israel since the war broke out.
MacManus claimed that the actions of both are a reminder of why it was crucial that consensus is retained on foreign, security and defence policy.
“The actions of Von der Leyen and Metsola were contrary to the European Union’s stated aims and values, including contributing to peace and security, the protection of human rights and the strict observance of international law.
“The failure to call for restraint or to call for Israel to abide by international law was completely unacceptable,” the Midlands–North-West MEP said.
“For Ireland to play a positive role in the wider world and in peace building it is also important that we do not cede the sovereignty that enables us to pursue an independent foreign policy,” he added.
“The actions of Von der Leyen and Metsola will have done untold damage to the European Union and undermine its credibility and the potential to play a role in achieving peace.
“The European Union should be playing a leading role in an international intervention to bring about a ceasefire by all sides.”
Staying with Irish reaction, Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik has contacted Von Der Leyen to request that the EU seek a commitment from Israel that they will stop attacks upon the civilian population of Gaza.
She said it is important that political leaders “maintain pressure on the EU Commission” to ensure a coherent response to the “ongoing breaches of international law by Israel” following its reprisals against Gaza.
Macik has also asked Von Der Leyen to press Israel to “refrain from any further breaches of international humanitarian law” in the conflict.
Bacik added that Israel should be pressured to not commence a ground invasion of Gaza and avert an “appalling humanitarian catastrophe” in the region.
Rocket alert sirens have blared in Jerusalem while several blasts were heard in the city, interrupting a sitting of parliament.
AFP correspondents report that the army confirmed “sirens sounding in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem”, Israel’s biggest cities, amid the war raging with Hamas militants in Gaza.
Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin has saide verything is being done to help Irish citizens in Gaza ahead of a planned incursion by the Israeli military.
“We’ve been working with our dual citizens, Irish citizens in Gaza, over the last number of days.
“Our embassy in Israel has been in touch. We’ve been anxious to work through the authorities there and we’re going to continue to do that,” the Tánaiste and foreign affairs minister said.
“We have been working with the families concerned and with the citizens.”
Martin said diplomatic efforts are being made to prevent the spread of tensions to Lebanon and “deescalate the situation”.
He called on the protection of civilians to be prioritised and for a distinction to be drawn between Palestinians and Hamas militants.
Speaking from Galway, he said he has always been concerned about bombs being dropped on built-up areas, saying there is “no doubt” innocent people are killed when an area like Gaza is targeted.
He added: “We have been fairly careful in terms of our public commentary on this because this is a fraught situation.
“So we would prefer to work with the authorities on the ground to see can we do everything we can to support our citizens, but it’s clearly challenging because of the nature of what’s going on there.”
Hello, Hayley Halpin here now. I’ll be bringing you the latest updates for the next few hours.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has told MPs that at least six British citizens were killed in Hamas’s attacks on Israel, with a further 10 missing.
Addressing the British Jewish community, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in the House of Commons this afternoon: “We stand with you now and always. This atrocity was an existential strike at the very idea of Israel as a safe homeland for the Jewish people.
“I understand why it has shaken you to your core, and I am sickened that antisemitic incidents have increased since the attack.
“We are doing everything we can to protect you.”
He added: “We are working with the police to ensure that hate crime and the glorification of terror is met with the full force of the law.”
He went on: “We stand with the Jewish community.”
Sunak told the Commons “we stand with British Muslim communities too”.
He said: “I also recognise that this is a moment of great anguish for British Muslim communities who are also appalled by Hamas’s actions but fearful of the response.
“We must listen to these concerns with the same attentiveness.
“Hamas is using innocent Palestinian people as human shields.”
He added: “We mourn the loss of every innocent life, civilians of every faith, every nationality who have been killed.
“And so, let’s say it plainly, we stand with British Muslim communities too.”
Rishi Sunak has announced that the British government is increasing its aid to Palestinians by a third with an additional £10 million in support.
“An acute humanitarian crisis is unfolding to which we must respond,” Sunak told the House of Commons.
“We must support the Palestinian people because they are victims of Hamas too. Like our allies, we believe that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people or their legitimate aspirations to live with equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity and dignity.
“Hamas simply does not stand for the future that the Palestinians want and they seek to put the Palestinian people in harm’s way. So we must ensure humanitarian support urgently reaches civilians in Gaza. This requires Egypt and Israel to allow in the aid that is so badly needed.
“We also need to keep the situation in the West Bank in the forefront of our minds at this moment of heightened sensitivity.
“Earlier today I spoke to Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, to express our support for his efforts to provide stability.”
Sunak told the Commons that the British government will continue to call on Israel to “take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians”.
He said: “One reason why this attack is so shocking is that it is a fundamental challenge to any idea of coexistence, which is an essential precursor to peace and stability in the region.
“The question is: how should we respond?
“I believe we must support absolutely Israel’s right to defend itself, to go after Hamas, take back the hostages, deter further incursions, and strengthen its security for the long-term.
“This must be done in line with international humanitarian law. But also recognising that they face a vicious enemy that embeds itself behind civilians.
“As a friend we will continue to call on Israel to take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians.
“I repeat President Biden’s words, as democracies we are stronger and more secure when we act according to the rule of law.”
Iran has said time is running short to reach a political solution in the Israel-Gaza conflict, warning of the “possibility of expanding the scope of war and conflict to other fronts”.
Iran celebrated the Hamas assault but insisted it was not involved.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi today held phone calls with his Russian and Turkish counterparts, during which he “warned against the continuation of crimes by the Zionist regime”, the president’s political deputy, Mohammad Jamshidi, said on X, formerly Twitter.
During his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Raisi warned of a “possibility of expanding the scope of war and conflict to other fronts”.
“If this happens, it will be more difficult to control the situation,” Raisi said, according to state news agency IRNA.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meanwhile “stressed that time is running out for political solutions” to the conflict, according to a post on X.
He added that he told his counterparts in Malaysia, Pakistan and Tunisia that the “probable spread of war to other fronts is approaching an inevitable stage”.
His remarks come as Israel readies for a land invasion into the long-blockaded Gaza Strip, where fears for Palestinians trapped in the heavily-bombarded enclave have grown since Israel launched its aerial campaign.
Hamas backer Iran has repeatedly warned that a ground invasion of Gaza would be met with a response from other fronts, prompting fears of a wider conflict that could draw in other countries.
During his call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Raisi said “minutes” would be “vital” in stopping what he described as “the brutal attacks” of Israel on Gaza, the IRNA state news agency reported.
Raisi also expressed Iran’s readiness to send humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Labour MP Richard Burgon told the House of Commons that Palestinians are being subject to “collective punishment”, which he said is a war crime.
The MP for Leeds East told the Commons: “The massacre of Israeli citizens was a heinous act of terrorism which we all utterly condemn, and the hostages must be released immediately.
“In the words of the United Nations general secretary, ‘the horrific acts by Hamas do not justify responding with collective punishment of the Palestinian people’.
“But that is what we’re seeing in Gaza – civilian areas bombed, food, electricity, water, medicines, all cut off. Such collective punishment is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.
“So will the Prime Minister take this opportunity to make clear to the Israeli government that this collective punishment of Palestinian civilians must end immediately?”
Labour's Richard Burgon calls for 'collective punishment of Palestinian civilians' by Israel to stop.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 16, 2023
"As a friend we will continue to call on Israel to take every precaution in avoiding harming citizens" says PM Rishi Sunak.
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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded to Labour MP Richard Burgon, saying: “I actually believe that we should support absolutely Israel’s right to defend itself and to go after Hamas, and recognising that they face a vicious enemy that embeds itself behind civilians.
“Now of course Israel will act within international humanitarian law, and as a friend we will continue to call on Israel to take every precaution in avoiding harming citizens.
“But we must acknowledge always the responsibility for what is happening here is Hamas and Hamas alone.”
The area of the Rafah border crossing between the blockaded Gaza Strip and Egypt was hit today in a military strike, AFP correspondents have said, as hundreds of Palestinians gathered hoping to cross.
The area of the shuttered crossing point in Gaza’s south had been hit at least three times last week by Israeli air strikes after Gaza-based Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October triggered all-out war.
Israeli police announced today it will begin arming civilians to serve as first responders in cities nationwide.
Police commissioner Kobi Shabtai and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir “decided on expanding the first responder units operating under police auspices to all of the cities,” a joint statement said.
The “347 new units” would be manned by “13,200 police volunteers, who will be enlisted and receive a rifle and protective gear”.
Israeli border communities have for years maintained such units, comprised of army veterans who receive arms and training and function in times of attacks or emergencies in coordination with the army or police.
In the days since the surprise attack by Hamas on 7 October, police bought over 6,000 rifles for 566 new civilian response units it founded, the statement said, with “border cities, major cities and mixed (Arab-Jewish) cities” prioritised as those most urgently needing the forces, the statement said.
Besides the new units, Ben Gvir’s office was working to relax the criteria for pistol licences so people with basic military training who live or work in conflict zones would be able to carry a gun.
A parliament session last night that approved the new guidelines revealed that since October 7, some 41,000 Israelis applied for a gun licence, compared to 38,000 annually.
“The massacre in the south shows how important the emergency response units are – they saved entire communities,” Ben Gvir said in the statement.
Humanitarian agency ActionAid has said a “ground invasion of Gaza by Israel would be “catastrophic and unthinkable.”
“ActionAid strongly condemns the violence in Israel and Gaza, and calls on all for a ceasefire and to stop all hostilities in order to protect the lives of innocent civilians,” it said in a statement.
“We are also calling for a safe humanitarian corridor to provide assistance and medicines and for the protection of civilian infrastructure and civilians.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the civilian toll in Gaza could see a “catastrophic increase” and warned of the risk of a regional war, after talking to Iranian and Arab leaders today.
Russia has repeatedly called for talks on ending the conflict, which has strained relations with long-time partner Israel and complicated ties with Iran, which backs militant group Hamas.
The Kremlin said Putin had spoken to his Syrian, Egyptian and Iranian counterparts as well as Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin would also speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Kremlin statement said Putin had voiced concern in his calls about “a catastrophic increase in the number of civilian victims and the aggravation of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza”.
All the leaders called for “an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian truce to provide urgent assistance to those in need,” it said.
Putin said he was ready to “coordinate efforts with all constructive partners to put an end to hostilities and stabilise the situation as quickly as possible”.
The Russian leader repeated his call for the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state as the only way for lasting peace.
Moscow, which has for almost 20 months been battling its own offensive in Ukraine, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and offered itself as a mediator.
Colombia has demanded that Israel’s ambassador leave the South American country amid a worsening spat over President Gustavo Petro’s remarks on the war with Hamas.
Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva said the envoy, Gali Dagan, should “at a minimum, apologise and leave” after he criticised Petro’s comparison of Israeli attacks on Gaza with the Nazi persecution of the Jews.
Leyva lashed out on social media at the “rudeness” of Israel’s response to Petro, adding: “Shame.”
Israel, one of the main providers of arms to Colombia’s military, yesterday said it was “halting security exports” to the South American country as the diplomatic feud escalated.
Petro, in one post on X, formerly Twitter, accused Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of using language about the people of Gaza similar to what the “Nazis said of the Jews”.
He asserted that “democratic peoples cannot allow Nazism to reestablish itself in international politics”.
Yesterday, Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Lior Haiat said Colombia’s ambassador to Israel, Margarita Manjarrez, had been summoned over Petro’s “hostile and anti-Semitic statements.”
The president’s statements were received with “astonishment,” said the spokesman, and accused Petro of “expressing support for the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists, fuelling anti-Semitism, affecting the representatives of the State of Israel and threatening the peace of the Jewish community in Colombia”.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has confirmed media reports he would travel to Israel and Egypt this week.
“It is important to me to also express my solidarity with Israel very practically with my visit,” he told reporters, while confirming a “later trip” to Egypt.
German media had earlier reported that Scholz would travel to Israel tomorrow as the first visit by a foreign head of government since the assault, which has sparked a war between Israel and Hamas.
The fate of German nationals kidnapped by Hamas during the attack 10 days ago is expected to be among the topics of discussion, according to the reports.
Scholz said he wanted to address “practical questions, particularly in terms of the security situation” in his talks “and how we can prevent an escalation of the conflict into further regions”.
Scholz added he wanted to discuss “how humanitarian aid can be organised” while stressing that “Israel has every right to defend itself”.
Israel’s ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, welcomed Scholz’s announced trip.
“It is truly a show of solidarity,” he told broadcaster Welt TV, describing the visit as “incredibly important”.
Prosor said that he hoped Scholz would be successful in mediation efforts during a subsequent stop in Egypt, calling for Cairo to open the border crossing from the Gaza Strip to protect Palestinians before a looming Israeli ground offensive against Hamas.
The Egyptians “have a responsibility”, Prosor said. “If Egypt opens this border crossing then they (Palestinians) have a place where they can go.”
Protestors have gathered outside BBC Broadcasting House in central London to urge the broadcaster to call Hamas ‘terrorists’.
Many waved Israeli flags while others held placards with pictures of Israeli children kidnapped by Hamas.
One placard said “BBC if the King can call Hamas terrorists so can you” while another said “BBC! Hamas are terrorists, not militants!”
The BBC earlier said it has given “careful consideration” to all aspects of its coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The broadcaster has received complaints that its reporting has been biased against both Israel and Palestinians.
In a published statement, the BBC said: “Careful consideration has been given to all aspects of our coverage to ensure that we report on developments accurately and with due impartiality in line with the BBC editorial guidelines, which are publicly available.”
It added: “We understand that this is an extremely worrying time for people not only in the region, but also in the UK and around the world, and we have reflected this in our coverage.
“BBC News has provided our global audiences with coverage and first-hand testimony of the atrocities committed by Hamas and the suffering in Gaza.”
Speaking about its decision not to describe Hamas as a terrorist organisation, it said: “The BBC, along with many other UK and global news organisations, does use the word ‘terrorist’, but attributes it. We have made clear to our audiences that Hamas is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK and other governments.”
The numbers of complaints are in the higher hundreds, not in the thousands, and there is a handful of numbers difference between the complaints totals for perceived Israeli and Palestinian bias, the PA news agency understands.
The European Union will launch a humanitarian air corridor to Gaza through Egypt with the first flights expected this week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said.
“Palestinians in Gaza are in need of humanitarian help and aid. That is why… we are launching an EU humanitarian air bridge to Gaza through Egypt. The first two flights will start this week,” von der Leyen told a press conference in the Albanian capital Tirana, where she attended a regional Balkan summit.
Von der Leyen said that there could be “no justification for Hamas’ heinous act of terror.”
“In the face of this horror Israel has the right to defend itself in line with humanitarian and international law,” she said and stressed that Palestinians in Gaza “cannot pay the price of Hamas’ barbarism”.
She reminded that the EU was tripling humanitarian aid to €75 million for the Gaza Strip.
Earlier, this liveblog reported that the US President Joe Biden abruptly cancelled a domestic political trip to meet with his national security team as he weighed an invitation to go to Israel to show support as it wages war against Hamas.
Biden was due to visit Colorado but stayed at the White House at the last minute for briefings amid mounting fears the conflict could escalate into a wider Middle East war.
The White House confirmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had invited Biden following the deadly 7 October Hamas attack on Israel that killed more than 1,400 people, but said there were no travel plans yet.
The timing of any visit would be highly sensitive, with Israel gearing up for a ground invasion of Hamas-ruled Gaza and pummeling it with air and artillery strikes that have killed at least 2,750 people.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were “briefed by their national security team on the latest updates in the wake of Hamas’s abhorrent attack in Israel and the resulting conflict in Gaza,” the White House said.
CIA chief Bill Burns, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan led the briefing, which was also joined by Biden’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients, it said, releasing a picture on social media of the group sitting in the Oval Office.
This morning, @POTUS and @VP were briefed by their national security team on the latest updates in the wake of Hamas’s abhorrent attack in Israel and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/pthWb1R7kB
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 16, 2023
Nine of Ireland’s 13 MEPs have criticised European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over her response to the Israel-Hamas war, with the majority saying she has overstepped her mandate, political reporter Jane Matthews reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin today called Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time since the deadly Hamas attack, and briefed him on several talks with leaders from the region and Palestinian Authority.
“The Israeli side was in particular informed of the essential points of telephone correspondences that took place today with the leaders of Palestine, Egypt, Iran and Syria,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
According to Moscow, the discussion focused on “the crisis situation resulting from the brutal escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”.
Putin expressed “his sincere condolences to the families and friends of the deceased Israelis,” the Kremlin said.
He also told the Israeli president of the steps Russia has taken to “promote the normalisation of the situation, prevent a further escalation of violence and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip”.
Putin spoke in phone calls with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.
The Russian leader also told Netanyahu that Russia had a “fundamental desire to continue its targeted action aimed at ending” the conflict and finding “a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means,” according to the government’s statement.
Moscow has traditionally maintained good relations with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities, as well as several regional players such as Syria, Egypt and Iran.
RTÉ Radio One’s Drivetime today spoke to Palestinian Irishman Ibrahim Alagha who is currently in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
He is trying to organise safe passage out of Gaza with his wife Hamida and their three young children. They had travelled over to Gaza from Dublin to visit family members in June.
You can listen to his interview here:
Listen back🎧: Irish Palestinian man Ibrahim Alagha spoke to Drivetime’s @UnaKelly3 from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. He is desperately trying to organise safe passage with wife Hamida & 3 children, after they travelled from Dublin in June. @RTERadio1 https://t.co/tmQehaVlBM pic.twitter.com/HS0eEONYoz
— Drivetime RTE (@drivetimerte) October 16, 2023
The threat of an Israeli ground invasion of the blockaded Gaza Strip “doesn’t scare us and we are ready for it”, Abu Obeideh, the spokesman of Hamas’s military wing, has said.
In a televised statement, he said Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades were holding 200 people captive since a massive onslaught on Israel’s south on 7 October, with about 50 others held by other “resistance factions and in other places”.
Earlier today, President Michael D Higgins said Israel “announcing in advance” that it would break international law in Gaza reduces the Geneva Convention to “tatters”.
He also hit out at European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen following her visit to Israel last week, saying that she doesn’t speak for Ireland.
President Higgins was speaking following an address to the World Food Forum in Rome.
He said there was “unanimous revulsion against the killing of civilians” by Hamas.
President Higgins said there was particular “horror” at the killing of people at a music concert, which included 22-year-old Irish-Israeli citizen Kim Damti.
However, he added: “One has to bear in mind how important it is to retain and insist on the veracity and the cogency of international law.”
Abu Obeideh, the spokesman of Hamas’s military wing, said this evening: ”We will release the foreign prisoners when conditions are ripe.”
Lack of water in the Gaza Strip under Israel blockade is driving people to drink from contaminated sources and could lead to the spread of diseases, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has warned.
“There continues to be no water for the vast majority of the population in Gaza,” UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma told reporters in New York in a video conference from Amman.
The World Health Organization earlier said that water, fuel and electricity would run out within 24 hours.
“We’re talking about two million people in the Gaza Strip who do not have water and water is running out and water is life. Life is running out of Gaza,” said Touma.
“We are very concerned about the spread of waterborne diseases if water continues not to be available in Gaza, because we do know that people are resorting to dirty water sources, including wells,” she said.
UNWRA used to provide food assistance to almost 1.2 million people in Gaza, but since 7 October, no supplies from the organization or any other UN agency have arrived in the Hamas-controlled enclave, which is completely isolated.
Touma said that the fear was being felt among UNRWA’s own workers in the Gaza Strip.
“We feel that the levels of desperation and frustration and exhaustion among our staff specifically increases by the hour,” she said.
That’s all from us on the liveblog tonight.
A recap on some of the main points today:
Contains reporting from © AFP 2023 and Press Association
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