LIVE | Israel-Hamas war: 'Reiterated India's principled position': PM Modi speaks to Palestine President
Netanyahu, Sunak hold private meeting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds private meeting with his British counterpart Rishi Sunak
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/wTc122oZ7S#RishiSunak #BenjaminNetanyahu #hamasattack pic.twitter.com/AIcmaTHdT6— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) October 19, 2023
Netanyahu says Israel fighting Iran-led “axis of evil”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday his country is fighting an “axis of evil” led by Iran. “Hamas are the new Nazis, the new ISIS, and we have to fight them together,” Netanyahu said during a news conference with visiting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, adding that it was “the battle of the entire civilised world” and on the other side was “an axis of evil, led by Iran,” which also included Hezbollah.
Israel detains 63 alleged “Hamas terror operatives”
Israeli security forces detained 63 alleged “Hamas terror operatives” in military operations that saw more than 80 people detained across the occupied West Bank overnight, the IDF said in a statement on Thursday.
65 Berlin police officers injured at pro-Palestinian protests
Sixty-five police officers were injured at overnight protests in Berlin against Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip, authorities said Thursday, as demonstrators defied bans on such gatherings.
The officers were “wounded by stones, flammable liquid and acts of resistance,” Berlin police said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. A police spokeswoman said 174 people were arrested, including 65 who will be facing investigations.
US State Dept official resigns over Biden administration's handling of conflict
An official from the State Department publicly announced his resignation from the agency on LinkedIn on Wednesday, citing his disagreement with the Biden administration’s handling of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict as the reason for his departure. Josh Paul, with over 11 years of experience in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM), explained in his LinkedIn post that he chose to resign because of a policy disagreement related to the ongoing provision of lethal assistance to Israel, CNN reported.
Over 1,100 Indians Evacuated From Israel Under Op Ajay
MEA spokesperson Arindam Baghchi said 1,200 people have returned in five special flights including 18 Nepalese nationals from Israel under Operation Ajay.
13 killed in airstrikes
At least 13 people were killed in airstrikes in Gaza’s Khan Younis. An entire city block was targeted and destroyed by airstrikes, according to the general director of Gaza hospitals and the director of Al-Nasser Medical Center in the southern Gaza city, CNN reported.
India calls for strict observance of humanitarian law
Days after an attack on a hospital in Gaza triggered global outrage, India on Thursday called for strict observance of international humanitarian law.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India is concerned over civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation. “We would urge strict observance of international humanitarian law,” he said at his weekly media briefing while replying to questions on the attack on the hospital this week. “We have strongly condemned the horrific attack on Israel,” Bagchi said, adding the international community must stand together in combating terrorism in all its forms.
On the Palestine issue, he said India reiterated its position in favour of direct negotiations for a two-state solution.
Around 470 people were reported to have been killed on Tuesday in the explosion on the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, triggering strong international condemnation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed shock at the loss of lives in the attack on the Gaza hospital and that those involved in civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict should be held responsible.
Head of Hamas-led national security forces killed in airstrike
The head of the Hamas-led national security forces, Jihad Muheisen, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in the north of Gaza City, the Palestinian militant group said in a Google-translated update on Telegram.
Egyptian soccer star Mohamed Salah says ‘humanity must prevail’
Egyptian soccer star Mohamed Salah called for an end to “massacres” in Gaza, saying all lives must be protected amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Taking to social media, Salah said that while “it was not always easy to speak at a time like this, there has been too much violence and too much heartbreak and brutality.”
Salah, who plays for Liverpool in England, called for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza immediately, saying people living in the enclave were in a “terrible condition”. “The people of Gaza need food, water and medical supplies urgently,” he added. “I am calling on the world leaders to come together to prevent the further slaughter of innocent souls. Humanity must prevail.”