Israel-Hamas War Highlights: Palestinian health ministry says Gaza death toll has risen to 4,385

Israel vows to 'fight until victory' after Hamas releases two US hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "fight until victory" in Gaza, signaling no pause in his military's bombardment and expected invasion of the enclave after Hamas released two US hostages. The Islamist group Hamas on Friday released US mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan who were kidnapped in its attack on southern Israel on October 7.

Canada's Trudeau discusses Israel-Hamas war with Saudi crown prince

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke on Friday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the situation in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Trudeau's office said.

Palestine Red Crescent Society appeals to evacuate Al-Quds hospital in Gaza to prevent disaster

Credit: Reuters Photo

The Palestinian Red Crescent announced on Friday that they received a warning from Israeli forces to 'immediately evacuate' Gaza's Al-Quds Hospital, which currently houses over 400 patients and 12,000 displaced civilians.

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Bodies of four Nepalese students killed in Israel-Hamas conflict to arrive on October 21

Four bodies of the 10 Nepalese students killed when Hamas launched a sudden strike at a farm in Israel's Kibbutz early this month would be arriving here on Sunday, said an official of the Foreign Ministry on Friday.

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Biden requests $105 billion from Congress for aid in Israel, Ukraine

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Cairo Peace Summit to discuss ways to 'de-escalate' Israel Hamas War

Reuters Report that leaders from the Middle East, Europe, South Africa, Japan and the United Kingdom are likely to be in attendance at the International Conference to discuss 'de-escalation efforts and humanitarian aid to Gaza Strip.' Representatives from US and Israel are not expected to attend.

List of leaders expected to attend:

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

Jordanian King Abdullah

Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani

Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa

UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs James Cleverly

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov

China’s envoy for Middle East issues Zhai Jun

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

European Council President Charles Michel

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell

Israeli bombardment continues; almost 30 Palestinians killed in early morning air raids

Palestinian News Agency Wafa reports

Israel carries out overnight strikes at Hezbollah targets in Southern Lebanon, Israeli Army said

A military spokesman said the strikes were in response to anti-tank missiles fired Friday by the Lebanese group at Israel. Hezbollah said on Friday it had attacked an Israeli force with missiles in northern Israel.

Yolla Ali Al Swaid, 43, who escaped from the south Lebanese village of Al- Dohira near the Israeli border, recounts how she was injured by what she claims was an Israeli shelling, while sitting in a school where she takes refuge in Tyre, Lebanon.

An Israeli reserve soldier was killed and three others were injured by an anti-tank missile near the border with Lebanon, Israel’s military said

On Friday, the Lebanese group Hezbollah announced that it had fired rockets at an Israeli force in northern Israel. The Israeli army responded by striking a number of targets in southern Lebanon, including a military compound and an antitank missile launcher. Tensions are running high along the Israel-Lebanon border, where Israeli forces and Hezbollah have traded fire. These border clashes are the most serious since the 2006 full-scale war between the two countries, in which Hezbollah attacked major Israeli cities with missiles, causing extensive damage.

A family waits by bags of personal belongings before being evacuated from Kiryat Shmona, near Israel's border with Lebanon, in northern Israel.

Israelis wait with their bags before being evacuated from Kiryat Shmona, near Israel's border with Lebanon, in northern Israel.

Here are latest images of protests from around the World

Overnight Israeli raids kill at least 46 in Gaza

Over the course of the night, Israeli air strikes in Gaza resulted in the death of at least 46 people.

Al Jazeera reports that 24 people were killed in air raid hitting the al-Motawwaq family in Jabalia. An air raid on the al-Ajrami family in Jabalia killed another 10 people.

5 people from the Khader family – four children and a woman – were also killed.

Another 7 people were killed in Israeli air raids in central Deir el-Balah and al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

A formation of Israeli tanks is positioned near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 21, 2023.

US Embassy in Israel says it has received information that Rafah border between Egypt and Gaza will open at 10 am local time

Anadolu English Reports

A satellite image shows a closer view of aid trucks waiting on Egyptian side of Rafah border crossing, October 20, 2023.

IDF releases two week recap, says 6900 rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel

Israel issues warning to its citizens in Egypt, Jordan; tells them to leave as soon as possible

The announcement from the National Security Agency, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Foreign Ministry says it is raising the alert to Egypt (including the Sinai Peninsula) and Jordan to a 4 and calling on all Israelis in the country to leave as soon as possible.

For Morocco, the threat level is being raised to a 3, and Israelis are told to avoid non-essential travel.

Times of Israel reports

Rafah crossing between Egypt, Gaza opens; aid trucks begin rolling in

“The relief aid convoy that is supposed to enter today includes 20 trucks that carry medicine, medical supplies, and a limited amount of food supplies [canned goods],” a statement from Hamas’s media office has said.

Trucks carrying aid arrive at the Palestinian side of the border with Egypt, as the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army raids the house of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri in Aroura, in the occupied West Bank; several arrests made

Al Jazeera Reports

100 more Palestinians from occupied West Bank arrested; total arrests inflates to 1050: Palestinian Prisoner’s Society

Armed men sit on top of a vehicle during a funeral at Nour Shams camp in Tulkarm in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Cairo Peace summit begins; Arab, International leaders discuss 'de-escalation'

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Israel Defence Force spokesperson says number of soldiers and officers killed since the start of the war has risen to 308

UN chief Antonio Guterres urges a "humanitarian ceasefire" in the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas and called for global "action to end this godawful nightmare".

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the media, after visiting the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, at Al Arish Airport, Egypt.

Bomb explodes in front of Israel’s Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus

A bomb has exploded in front of Israel’s Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus. 4 Syrian asylum seekers aged 17-21 have been arrested. The police also found 2 knives and 1 hammer in their car.

Israel's defense minister says Hezbollah has 'decided to join the fighting' and will 'pay a price for it', reports The Spectator Index.

Instagram apologises for adding ‘terrorist’ to some Palestinian user profiles, reported The Guardian

The Israel Defence Force says it is preparing 'for the next stage of the war, including ground operations'.

Credit: Reuters Photo

1 in 5 Hamas and Islamic Jihad rockets hit Gaza in the last 24 hours, says Israel Defense Forces

Over 100,000 People are attending a Pro-Palestinian/Hamas Demonstration today in London

IDF says an anti-tank missile was fired from Lebanon towards the border area of Margaliot

Hezbollah announces the Death of one of their fighters, Ismail Ahmad Al-Zein who was Killed recently during Clashes with the IDF in Southern Lebanon.

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Commander of the Israeli Air Force, Major General Tomer Bar held a Briefing today

86 Nobel laureates call for the immediate release of the kidnapped children in Gaza, according to Israel Foreign Ministry

A 20 truck UN-coordinated humanitarian convoy was able to make it into the Gaza Strip earlier today

Some Israeli journalists express fear about conveying dissenting views

In Israel, many journalists are covering the war while processing their own grief and shock over the surprise attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7. Some lost relatives in the attacks.

But some Israeli journalists and supporters of the press say that covering the war has become even more difficult because of the vitriol they have received from fellow Israelis who have been upset by their questioning of the country’s actions in response to the Hamas attacks.

Expressing dissenting opinions has become even more fraught than in previous conflicts, said Anat Saragusti, a senior staff member for the 1,500-member Union of Journalists, an Israeli organization. (International New York Times)

Palestinian health ministry says Gaza death toll has risen to 4,385, reports The Spectator

Demonstrators pray together during the "We Won’t Back Down: All Out for Palestine" protest in support of Palestinians, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Boston, Massachusetts, US, October 16, 2023.