14:23
Lentils in Gaza, but no water: The UN calls for better coordination of humanitarian aid
Some of the food transported to the Gaza Strip, such as rice and lentils, cannot be used for cooking due to a lack of water, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) complained on Tuesday, calling for greater coordination between humanitarian workers.
International aid has been arriving through Egypt in small quantities since Saturday, but in very insufficient quantities, according to the United Nations, in this small, poor area bombarded by Israel after the bloody Hamas attack on October 7. During a regular United Nations press conference, UNRWA spokeswoman Tamara Alrifai, speaking via videoconference from Amman, welcomed generosity in Egypt and elsewhere around the world to help Palestinians. However, she stressed: “We are not really receiving the most necessary or relevant products for Gaza.”
For example, Tamara Alrifai stated in one of the convoys of the last few days:
We were given boxes of rice and lentils (…), but to cook lentils and rice you need water and gas. Therefore, this type of product (…) is not very useful at the moment given the situation in Gaza.
13:59
After Jerusalem, Emmanuel Macron will travel to Amman in Jordan
After his visit to Israel and the West Bank, the French president will travel to Amman to “probably” meet Abdullah II and “maybe” other leaders, AFP reports.
➤ Read our article on the presidential visit: In Israel, Emmanuel Macron wants a “merciless fight” against Hamas, “but not without rules”
13:47
“I went through hell”: a former hostage testifies in the Israeli press
An Israeli hostage released by Palestinian Hamas last night said today she had “gone through hell” and was “beaten” when she was abducted but was “treated well” during her more than two weeks of captivity in the Gaza Strip.
“I went through hell, I didn’t think or know that I would end up in this situation,” Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, told reporters in Tel Aviv, sitting in a wheelchair next to his girlfriend. “They kidnapped me, I was taken away on a motorcycle […] I was lying on the motorcycle, my body on one side and my legs on the other and the “Shabab” (young Palestinians, editor’s note) beat me on the way, they didn’t break my ribs, but they hurt a lot and “Managed to breathe with difficulty.”
However, during captivity, “they made sure we didn’t need anything. They treated us well,” she said: “Every two or three days a doctor came to see how we were doing and to make sure we were had medication.”
Israeli Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, holds a news conference in Tel Aviv after being released by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 24, 2023. — © ERIK MARMOR / AFP
13:39
Hamas reports 5,791 deaths in the Gaza Strip and more than 16,000 injured
Hamas’s Ministry of Health announced today the deaths of 5,791 people since Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip began. According to the Ministry of Health, 2,360 of these were children and 16,297 people were injured.
13:13
Hezbollah’s deputy leader blames Europe and the US for the deaths in Gaza
In a message published on his publication, Naim Quassam announces that Hezbollah is “at the heart of the defense of the Gaza Strip” and that it will fight Israel in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Lebanon and throughout the region if necessary.
12:28
Emmanuel Macron suggests the coalition against the Islamic State can fight Hamas
“France is ready for the international coalition against Daesh, within which we are committed to our operations in Iraq and Syria, to also fight against Hamas,” said Emmanuel Macron at the end of his bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu uses an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State (IS) group.
I suggest to our international partners that we can form a regional and international coalition to fight the terrorist groups that threaten us all. This is in the interests of Israel and its security, as well as in the interests of some of your neighbors who are threatened by the same or neighboring groups. The fight must be merciless, but not without rules, because we are democracies fighting terrorists, democracies that respect the laws of war and ensure humanitarian access.
➤ Read our article: In Israel, Emmanuel Macron proposes a coalition against Hamas, but wants targeted attacks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron as they hold a joint news conference in Jerusalem, October 24, 2023. — © CHRISTOPHE ENA / AFP
12:25
In Jerusalem, the French President warns Iran and Hezbollah
Emmanuel Macron today calls on “Hezbollah, the Iranian regime, the Houthis in Yemen” not to “take the reckless risk of opening new fronts” while the situation on the border with Lebanon is very tense.
After Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, Emmanuel Macron said he feared “a regional conflagration in which everyone would lose.” He also “drew everyone’s attention to the actions of a few against Palestinian civilians, whose violence threatens to set the West Bank ablaze as well.”
12:23
Emmanuel Macron calls for “a decisive resumption of the political process with the Palestinians”
At a press conference, Emmanuel Macron called for “a decisive resumption of the political process with the Palestinians” and will discuss it with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah today and with several regional leaders tomorrow. After a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he stated:
The Palestinian cause must be heard with reason (…). Tomorrow I will meet with several heads of state and government from the region to concretely advance the agenda we have set for ourselves.
12:16
In Gaza, the Israeli army is issuing leaflets demanding information about hostages
The Israeli army dropped leaflets in the Gaza Strip asking residents to provide it with any information about Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a financial reward.
“If you want a better future for yourself and your children, do good and send us safe and useful information about kidnapped people in your area,” the brochure reads in Arabic. The Israeli army promises to do everything it can to ensure your safety and that of your homes, as well as a financial reward. We guarantee you absolute discretion.”
The document contains a telephone number and the messaging services Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal where she can be reached for any information related to the hostages.
12:03
“Enough is enough,” the Emir of Qatar attacks Israel’s supporters
The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, attacked countries that support Israel, saying that Israel had been given “permission to kill.” According to Israeli authorities, more than 1,400 people were killed by Hamas men in Israel, most of them civilians. According to the Israeli army, Hamas also kidnapped around 220 hostages, Israelis and foreigners. According to the Hamas Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 5,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in incessant bombings by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip.
“We say enough is enough,” Sheikh Tamim said at the opening of a meeting of the Majlis al-Shura, his country’s advisory council. “It is unusual for Israel to be given the green light and permission to kill,” he added. Qatar is an ally of Washington and is home to a major American base as well as a Hamas office and its leader in exile, Ismaïl Haniyeh. He is playing a key role in negotiating the release of hostages held by Hamas, four of whom have been released so far.
11:58
WHO wants a more effective verification system in Rafah
The World Health Organization (or WHO) says a combination of challenges is preventing more humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza. In addition to the inadequate security in the area, she calls for “more effective” systems for checking cargo. It took some time for the trucks to be ready after the total Israeli siege, an official from the Middle East organization admitted to the press in Geneva on Tuesday. They are now waiting at the Egyptian border for an entry permit. We need “safe access,” emphasizes the WHO official.
In the last few days, dozens of trucks have been able to deliver relief supplies. But hundreds typically arrived in Gaza each day, including about 100 carrying food and fuel. Residents only have access to between one and three liters of drinking water per day per person, whereas international estimates suggest that 15 liters per day per person are needed. Without improvement, the WHO expects more deaths from disease in the coming weeks.
11:27
A snapshot of Jerusalem
Emmanuel Macron travels to Israel to demonstrate France’s solidarity with the country and continue work on the release of hostages held in Gaza.
French President Emmanuel Macron meets Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 – © IMAGO/Nicolas Messyasz / Pool / Bestimage / IMAGO/Bestimage
10:29
The war between Israel and Hamas could have “serious” economic consequences, the head of the World Bank warns
The war between Israel and Hamas risks “serious” economic consequences, the president of the World Bank warns during an investor conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “I think what’s happening in Israel and Gaza […] will have a serious impact on economic development,” says Ajay Banga. And added: “I think we are in a very dangerous moment.”
10:26
Emmanuel Macron will also meet Palestinian President Abbas in Ramallah
The French president will also travel to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting between the two leaders at the Palestinian Authority headquarters in Ramallah “is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. in Switzerland),” according to officials in Mahmoud Abbas’s office. That trip was not immediately confirmed by the Elysée Palace.
09:56
Emmanuel Macron: “The first goal is the release of all hostages”
In Tel Aviv today, at a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Isaac, the French president called for not to expand the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, believing that the release of the hostages held in Gaza was “the first goal,” Duke. “I think it is our duty to fight these terrorist groups without causing confusion and, I would say, without escalating the conflict,” said Emmanuel Macron, saying:
The first goal we should have today is the release of all hostages, without distinction.
09:38
Explanation
During his visit to Tel Aviv, Emmanuel Macron will also travel to Ramallah
Emmanuel Macron arrived at Tel Aviv Airport at around 6 a.m. this Tuesday. As soon as he stepped onto the tarmac, he encountered families of French citizens who had been killed or held hostage in the Gaza Strip. A sensitive issue in France, as the massive terrorist attack on October 7th was the one that killed the most French people since the Nice attack. But also the opportunity to emphasize that this trip should primarily serve as a sign of solidarity with Israel, which was massively attacked by Hamas terrorists two weeks ago. “We are bound to Israel through grief,” Emmanuel Macron immediately declared on X (formerly Twitter). Thirty of our compatriots were murdered on October 7th. Nine others are still missing or held hostage.”
Emmanuel Macron still has to meet this Tuesday with Isaac Herzog, the President of the State of Israel, and the then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He will also discuss with Yaïr Lapid, the opposition leader, as well as Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet and opposition minister in the emergency government of national unity. And most importantly, he will then travel to Ramallah to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
07:31
The Hamas government announced 140 deaths in attacks last night
The Hamas government said in a statement Tuesday morning that at least 140 people had been killed in another night of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Islamist movement in power in the Palestinian territory also reported “hundreds of injured” and “dozens of houses destroyed.” Yesterday, in its latest global assessment, the Hamas government announced that more than 5,000 people, including more than 2,000 children, have been killed since the war began on October 7.
06:52
On the brink of war, the United States will host China
American diplomacy chief Antony Blinken will host his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Washington at the end of the week, senior American officials announced on Monday. The meeting could be a precursor to a visit by President Xi Jinping to the United States by the end of the year.
Wang Yi’s visit to Washington, scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, comes amid numerous contacts between Americans and Chinese in recent months as they seek to “responsibly manage” tensions between the two major rivals. The Sino-Russian rapprochement, the war in Ukraine and, above all, that between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas should come to the forefront of discussions at a time when the international community is fearful of an escalation of the conflict.
06:45
Hamas releases some hostages to buy time
These are rare glimmers of hope in the war in the Middle East. Two Israeli women were released by Hamas this Monday. Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifschitz, 85, were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and then repatriated to Israel via Egypt. Their octogenarian husbands are still imprisoned in Gaza. The two couples were kidnapped in Kibbutz Nir Oz, population 400, with a quarter of its population killed or kidnapped.
A wall with photos of hostages in the Gaza Strip, October 21, 2023 in Tel Aviv. — © Petros Giannakouris / keystone-sda.ch
06:43
Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Israel
The French president arrived in Tel Aviv this morning to express France’s “total solidarity” with Israel following the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas that killed more than 1,400 people on October 7, an AFP journalist noted. The head of state will also call for the “protection of the civilian population” in Gaza, while Israel has carried out massive air strikes there in response to the attack with the declared aim of “destroying” Hamas, Elysium said.
05:33
Six UN staff members were killed in Gaza within 24 hours
Six staff members of the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) were killed in Gaza within 24 hours, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. This brings the number of UNRWA employees who have died since the start of the war to 35. “We are at a loss for words,” the agency said on X (formerly Twitter). “It’s not just numbers. They are our friends and colleagues. Many were teachers in our schools. UNRWA mourns this enormous loss,” the UN agency added.
Thousands of civilians have lost their lives in violence in the Middle East.
Including 35 of us @UNRWA Colleagues – humanitarian workers, teachers – have been killed in Gaza since October 7th.
We mourn their loss and stand with our colleagues who are doing everything they can to help those in need.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 23, 2023
Still on
In its daily report, OCHA also highlights the difficulties humanitarian organizations face in providing assistance to the population “due to ongoing hostilities, restrictions on movement and shortages of electricity, fuel, water, medicine and other essential supplies.”
05:06
Google Maps and Waze are switching off their live traffic services
“As we have done in conflict situations and in response to developments in the region, we have temporarily disabled the ability to display the traffic situation live […] out of consideration for the safety of local communities,” a Google Maps spokesperson said, quoted by CNN. The broadcaster adds that the tech giant, which will also apply this decision to its navigation application Waze, did not specify “whether the tools would be disabled in Israel, the Gaza Strip or both,” nor whether it would respond to a request from the broadcaster Israeli army. A similar measure was announced in Ukraine last year. Google took a similar action last year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
03:59
The two freed hostages arrived in Tel Aviv
The two hostages, released by Hamas on Monday with the support of the ICRC, arrived at the Sourasky medical center in Tel Aviv after being transported by military helicopter, one on a stretcher and the other in a wheelchair, an AFP noted Journalist.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office had previously announced the identities of these two women of Israeli nationality and from Kibbutz Nir Oz: Yocheved Lifschitz, 85, and Nourit Kuper, 79, who were taken hostage along with their husbands, who are still at the kibbutz are being held in the Gaza Strip.
03:49
Beijing says “all countries” have the right to defend themselves
China’s foreign minister told his Israeli counterpart that “all countries have the right to defend themselves” in the first conversation between the two nations’ top diplomats since the conflict began, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement. Foreign Affairs. However, Wang Yi stressed to Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen that these countries “must respect international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians.” Wang Yi also promised that China would “do its best” to support “peace-friendly” efforts.