Israel-Hamas war live: US ‘focused’ ‘heavily’ on hostage release as UK PM calls failure of ceasefire ‘deeply disappointing’ – The Guardian

Michael Sainato

The United Auto Workers, one of the largest unions in the US, has called for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine.

The UAW is now the largest union to have called for a ceasefire. It represents 400,000 U.S. workers and more than 580,000 retirees.

“I am proud to announce today that the UAW national team has joined the call for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine,” Brandon Mancilla, UAW director, said Friday at a news conference outside the White House Protesters were on hunger strike.

From fighting fascism in World War II to mobilizing against apartheid in South Africa and the Contra War, the UAW has consistently advocated for justice around the world. A labor movement that fights for social and economic justice for all workers must always stand against war and for peace.

Since the beginning of October, local and national unions in the United States have increased their number of ceasefire resolutions. The American Postal Workers Unionthe UE union, the California Nurses Association, the Chicago Teachers Union and several other local unions and labor groups have publicly called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also used his formal remarks at the Cop28 summit to criticize Israel for its actions in Gaza.

The Turkish President said in his address to the heads of state and government at the Dubai conference:

While we talk about the climate crisis, we cannot ignore the humanitarian crisis happening right next to us in the Palestinian territories.

The current situation in Gaza constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity; Those responsible must be held accountable under international law.

South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, reflected the sentiment, Portal reported. He said:

South Africa is appalled by the horrific tragedy unfolding in Gaza. The war against the innocent people of Palestine is a war crime that must end now.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan that Israel’s resumption of attacks on Gaza following the ceasefire breach was “very negative,” according to his office.

The two leaders met on Friday on the sidelines of the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, where Erdoğan also met with the prime ministers of Japan and Italy to discuss Gaza, as well as his counterpart from Uzbekistan.

A statement from the Turkish presidency’s office said:

President Erdoğan, noting that the resurgence of clashes was very negative, said Turkey was working to reach a lasting ceasefire and bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Israel knew about Hamas attack plan more than a year in advance – report

The Israeli military knew about Hamas’s plan to launch an attack on Israeli soil more than a year before the bloody Oct. 7 terrorist attack, according to a report.

Israeli officials obtained a roughly 40-page Hamas battle plan, code-named “Jericho Wall,” which “described, point by point, exactly the type of attack” that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people in the devastating Hamas attacks in Israel , The New York Times reported.

The translated document, reviewed by The New York Times, did not set a date for the attack but described a methodical attack aimed at overwhelming the fortifications surrounding the Gaza Strip, taking Israeli cities and key military bases, including one Division, to storm headquarters.

According to the report, the document was widely circulated among Israeli military and intelligence officials, who dismissed the plan, saying it was of a scale and ambition beyond Hamas’ capabilities. It was unclear whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other top politicians saw it.

Hamas “followed the plan with frightening precision,” the report said.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the NYT report, saying: “Issues of this nature will be considered at a later date.”

The collapse of the ceasefire is “deeply disappointing,” says Sunak

Rishi Sunak He again called for “sustained humanitarian pauses” in Gaza as he held talks with the Israeli president and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Jordan on the sidelines of the Cop28 summit on Friday.

At a press conference in Dubai, the British Prime Minister said:

Today’s breach of the ceasefire is deeply disappointing, not least because more and more hostages were coming home.

He acknowledged Qatar’s role in supporting the effort and said he hoped the process could resume.

He also called on Israel to exercise “maximum care” to avoid civilian casualties and said he was against “mass displacement of people.” He added that the UK was exploring options to bring aid to the region by sea.

Speaking to broadcasters earlier, Sunak said:

We have always insisted that we want to see permanent humanitarian pauses so that more aid can get to the people of Gaza, but also the hostages can get out. These are crucial ingredients. And as I said, everyone must abide by the terms of these agreements.

Updated at 18.09 GMT

Rishi Sunak stressed the need to “take all possible measures to avoid civilian casualties” when he met Israeli President Issac Herzog in Gaza on Friday, Downing Street said.

Sunak also reiterated Britain’s “unwavering support” for Israel’s “fundamental right to defend itself against terrorism” as the two met on the sidelines of the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, it was reported.

A No 10 spokesman said the two leaders “discussed ongoing efforts to ensure the safe release of all hostages, which remains an urgent priority.”

Sunak also stressed “the importance of de-escalating tensions in the West Bank to support longer-term peace and security,” they said.

The British prime minister also held talks with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Jordan to discuss the conflict. No. 10 said:

Discussions focused on practical steps that can be taken now to create more humanitarian pauses so that more hostages can be released, and how we can also receive more assistance while standing by Israel’s right to self-defense.

The official added that there was “obviously shared disappointment and regret among the leaders” over the end of the ceasefire.

Updated at 18.02 GMT

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking to reporters in Dubai, reiterated that his country stands in “strong solidarity with Israel, which is defending itself.”

Blinken, who met with Israeli and Palestinian officials on Thursday during his third trip to the Middle East since the war began on October 7, said his visit focused on getting the hostages out of Gaza and providing humanitarian assistance to the people there afford Gaza.

He said he had “made it clear” that after the end of the ceasefire, “it is essential that Israel establish clear protection measures for civilians and for maintaining humanitarian assistance in the future.”

He said he had “seen Israel’s plans in many ways to do everything possible to protect civilians,” adding:

This will be very important in the future. This is something we will be looking at very closely

The US is “intensely focused” on releasing hostages, Blinken says, while blaming Hamas for ending the ceasefire

The US remains “strongly focused” on the release of all hostages held in Gaza despite the end of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the US secretary of state said. Antony Blinken, has said.

Blinken told reporters Friday before his departure from Dubai, where he was attending the Cop28 climate conference, that Hamas bore responsibility for the end of the ceasefire. He said:

It is also important to understand why the break came to an end. It came to an end because of Hamas. Hamas has not fulfilled its commitments.

He referred to Thursday’s deadly gun attack in West Jerusalem that killed three Israelis and for which Hamas has claimed responsibility.

Blinken said the U.S. remains “very focused” on getting the hostages back. “We’re still at it,” he said.

We are committed to doing everything we can to bring everyone home and reunite them with their families, including continuing the process that has been working for seven days. We had a seven day break; For seven days, people come home and are reunited with their families. So we’re busy with it almost hour after hour.

Updated at 17:37 GMT

Oxfam said it feared for the lives and future of the more than two million people in Gaza who “face renewed risk of death from renewed rocket and bomb attacks, as well as from hunger, thirst and disease” following the end of the ceasefire.

In a statement on Friday, the organization said the seven-day ceasefire had allowed more than 1,000 aid trucks to enter the Gaza Strip and deliver food, water, blankets and cooking gas to some people.

But “that would never be enough, considering that 1.8 million people – or 80% of Gaza’s entire population – have already been displaced,” it said.

She described the end of the humanitarian pause as “a band-aid ripped from Gaza’s bleeding wound” and warned of a “looming humanitarian catastrophe” in the besieged territory, posed by the “specter of further mass displacement” of people from it Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip will be further strengthened.

It said it was “deeply concerned” about plans to create so-called “safe zones” in southern Gaza, describing them as “logistically unfeasible” and saying they would “contradict Israel’s commitment to providing full humanitarian access.” The statement concludes:

The international community must make every diplomatic effort to push for a permanent ceasefire, ensure access to humanitarian assistance for all those in need through Israel and Egypt, and secure the release of the remaining hostages.

Updated at 17:26 GMT

The Israeli military announced Friday morning that it would divide the entire Gaza Strip into dozens of numbered blocks to target local evacuations in the crowded south of the strip ahead of planned bombing raids.

It Leaflets dropped A QR code takes you to Gaza to a website with a map of all the areas and the geolocation of the people living there.

The map divides the besieged enclave into 620 small, numbered zones where forced evictions will be ordered. The Israeli military urged Gazans to “continue to carefully follow the map” and go to specific locations “to ensure their safety.”

Map

According to a resident of Khan Younis, the Israel Defense Forces waited just four minutes after the ceasefire expired at 7 a.m. before starting bombing again.

An hour later, the military laid out its plan for the “next phase of the war”: dividing the Gaza Strip into dozens of numbered “evacuation areas,” a central part of the military’s plan to gradually take control of the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

The military’s plan, discussed privately this week, is to prevent a repeat of the carpet bombing of northern Gaza in the crowded south through successive, targeted bombings.

Under the plan, people in certain numbered districts of the Gaza Strip will be asked to evacuate before the bombardment begins. However, it is unclear how much time they will receive for this. Homes in Khan Younis were among the targets attacked on Friday just hours after the ceasefire expired, and residents were given little or no time to flee.

Israel’s military Leaflets dropped They entered Khan Younis on Friday morning, warning people in certain districts to evacuate, saying the city was now “a dangerous combat zone” and telling them people should seek refuge further south in Rafah. It also included a QR code linked to a website that mapped all the numbered districts and asked residents for the location of their device.

The Israeli military remains determined to target Khan Younis because of its belief in Hamas leadership Yahya Sinwar, is stationed in tunnels beneath the city. “The goal of the phase we are currently in is to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities,” said Tamir Hayman, a former IDF major general who has returned to give advice to former colleagues. At some point, after a certain level of bombing, a ground operation is expected.

But the new military approach threatens to turn the already desperate humanitarian situation in the crowded south into an extremely serious situation. An estimated 2 million people now live in the south, half of whom were evacuated from the north. Jason Lee, Save the Children’s Palestine country director, said he visited a shelter in Khan Younis two days ago: “It was designed for 1,000 people but houses 35,000 people. There are 600 people in each toilet.”

Updated at 18.07 GMT

Two people have reportedly been killed in an Israeli shelling in southern Lebanon, as the end of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas led to a resumption of hostilities on the border.

Hezbollah said it carried out several attacks on Israeli military positions on the border on Friday, Portal reported.

The Iran-backed Lebanese group released statements speaking of five attacks on Israeli military positions on the border, claiming they were “in support of our steadfast Palestinian people… and their brave and honorable resistance.”

A high-ranking Hezbollah politician, Hassan Fadlallah, He previously said the group was alert and ready following the end of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.

The Israeli army said its artillery hit sources of fire from Lebanon and air defenses intercepted two shots. The army also said it had attacked a “terror cell.”

A woman and her son were killed by an Israeli artillery shell in the town of Houla in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah-affiliated channel al-Manar TV reported.

Updated at 16.42 GMT

Here are some of the latest images from news outlets Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip after Israel launched renewed attacks across the region that health officials in the area said killed at least 109 people.

Updated at 16.45 GMT