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PremiumIsrael-Hamas War: In the latest developments on the Israel and Hamas conflict, US President Joe Biden has said that the latter is using innocent Palestinian families as human shields in its assault on Israel.
Biden claimed that the terror attack launched by Hamas on 7 October was the bloodiest day for Jews since the Holocaust. And, for the first time, Biden spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging the leaders to allow humanitarian aid to the region.
Meanwhile, Israel has vowed to annihilate the militant group Hamas but Iran warned of "far-reaching consequences" if Israel's bombardment was not stopped.
Gaza authorities said more than 2,200 people have been killed, a quarter of them children, and nearly 10,000 wounded. Rescue workers searched desperately for survivors of nighttime air raids. One million people had reportedly left their homes.
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Read all the LIVE updates here.
Israel-Hamas war: Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the Jewish nation was attacked by Lebanon's Hezbollah. The Iran-backed group and Israel exchanged deadly cross-border fire on Sunday. Later, Hezbollah also claimed responsibility for strikes that Israel said killed a civilian.
The fire exchanges, and a rocket also hit a UN peacekeeping base further raised tensions on Israel's northern border.
Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the United Nations peacekeeping mission headquarter was struck by a rocket in Lebanin, said the international agency on Sunday.
"Our headquarters in Naqoura was hit with a rocket and we are working to verify from where. Our peacekeepers were not in shelters at the time. Fortunately, no one was hurt," UNIFIL said in a statement.
US President Joe Biden held a telephonic conversation with Palestinian Authority President on Sunday. He said that the US is working with partners in region to ensure humanitarian supplies reach civilians in Gaza.
Thousands of people gathered in Turkey on Sunday, to take out a pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul.
"They've been chasing people out of their homes for years. Now they're not killing people one by one day by day, they're killing them en masse," one of the marchers, Bayram Atabey, a shopkeeper in his thirties, told AFP.
Israel-Hamas war LIVE: The three-hour long deadline issued by the Israeli military to the Palestinians living in northern Gaza has over. This means, troops could launch a ground offensive at any moment. Here are top ten updates on the ongoing war. (Read more)
Israel-Hamas conflict: Israel's planned ground invasion of Gaza “could lead to a genocide of unprecedented proportions," the heads of the Arab League and African Union said on Sunday in a joint statement.
Both organisations called on "the United Nations and the international community to stop a catastrophe unfolding in front of us, before it is too late", as Israel readies for a ground invasion following Hamas's surprise attack last week.
Israel-Hamas war Live Updates: At least, 2,450 Palestinians have been killed and 9,200 people have been wounded since Israel launched its attack on the Gaza strip, said the enclave's health ministry on Sunday.
Israel-Hamas updates: Water services in Gaza, snapped since October 7 following the eruption of war, has been restored in the southern part of the region, CNN reported, citing a statement it received from US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. “I can tell you this morning that I have been in touch with my Israeli counterparts just within the last hour who report to me that they have in fact turned the water pipe back on in Southern Gaza," the news channel quoted him as saying.
Israel-Hamas Live Updates:"Following reports regarding sirens sounded in northern Israel, nine rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory," the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement. "The IDF is currently striking the site of the launch in Lebanon," it added.
Israel-Hamas war live: Israel has no interest in waging war on its northern front. If the Lebanese group Hezbollah maintains peace and restrains itself then Israel will keep the situation along the border as it is, said Israeli defence minister on Sunday.
"We have no interest in a war in the north. We don't want to escalate the situation," Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told reporters.
Israel-Hamas LIVE Updates: A total of 160 German citizens from Israel were evacuated safely back to their homeland, siad German air force on Sunday. The ministry said the Bundeswehr was ready for a military evacuation operation if necessary.
Israel-Hamas war LIVE updates: Thousands of people marched in the support of Palestine in Moroccan capital on Sunday. The supporters denounced Israel's actions in the latest war with Gaza's militant Hamas rulers.
Israel-Hamas war: Amid the ongoing war, Gaza is facing humanitarian crisis for past eight days. Major source of assistance, United Nations is also falling short of resources in the region to help war victims. Water ran out at nearly all UN shelters across Gaza as thousands packed into the courtyard of the besieged territory's largest hospital as a refuge of last resort from a looming Israeli ground offensive.
Israel-Hamas war: Prime Ministe Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sundya, convened Israel's expanded emergency cabinet for the first time on Sunday. He also said that the country is gearing up to “demolish Hamas" in Gaza.
Israel-Hamas: Eight days after the ghastly attack by Hamas millitants on Israeli civilians, the militant group has held hostage of 126 people, confirmed Israeli ministry on Sunday.
Authorities had initially estimated about 150 Israeli and foreign captives after Hamas launched its October 7 attack that killed at least 1,300 in Israel.
Military spokesman Richard Hecht also said that 126 hostages had been "confirmed".
Israel-Palestine war: Egypt is intensifying efforts with tis international and regional partners to deliver aid to Gaza, said a statement released by Egypt's presidency on Sunday.
Egypt said its national security was a red line and that it rejects any plan to displace Palestinians.
Israel-Hamas war: After Israel cut Gaza city of its essential supplies including food, fuel, and electricity, thousands of patients can die due to supply crunch, warns packed Gaza hospitals.
Israel-Hamas war LIVE Updates: As the Israeli army prepares for its biggest ever ground offensive on the Gaza strip, the green signals from politicians is yet to be awaited, said military spokesmen on Sunday.
Military spokesmen Lieutenant Richard Hecht and Daniel Hagari told separate briefings on Sunday. Durinh their media briefing, they said that "a political decision" will set off any action against Hamas after its October 7 attacks that left at least 1,300 dead in Israel.
"We will be holding discussions with our political leadership," Hecht told one briefing.
Israel-Hamas war: Amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi drew Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attention towards the atrocities of civilians living in Palestine. He also urged the PM to show solidarity with Palestinian people saying the Palestine issue is not just of Muslims alone, it is a humanitarian issue and it is a matter of all those who want justice.
Israel-Hamas latest updates: Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on Sunday, said that Canada is deeply concerned by the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. He also highlighted that unimpeded humanitarian access is essential to address the urgent needs of civilians. He also called for respect for international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, to be respected.
Israel-Hamas conflict LIVE: Along with continuing its support to Israel in the ongoing war, Britain stressed to ensure minimal civilian casualties.
Britain remains supportive of Israel's right to defend itself but has also urged it to show restraint in any military action against Palestinian militant group to minimise harm to civilians, said foreign minister James Cleverly on Sunday.
“Of course, we respect Israel's right to self-defence ... We've said do everything you can to minimise civilian casualties. Do everything you can to prevent Hamas getting what they want, which is this to escalate into a wider regional conflict," cleverly told Sky News, reported Reuters.
Medics in Gaza have warned that thousands could die if hospitals packed with wounded people run out of fuel and basic supplies, as civilians struggled to find food, water and safety ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive.
The US government has organised a ship to take Americans out of Israel to Cyprus on Monday, the US embassy said.
With Israel moving toward a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, the ship will leave from the Israeli port of Haifa taking "US nationals and their immediate family members with a valid travel document", the US embassy said in a security alert.
The Israeli army said it was striking inside Lebanon on Sunday after anti-tank missile fire towards a border community, in the latest incident of cross-border shelling.
"Following the anti-tank missile fire in the area of Shtula, the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) struck the origin of the fire with artillery fire," the army said.
"Furthermore, additional anti-tank missile fire was carried out toward an IDF military post on the Lebanese border. In response, the IDF is currently striking in Lebanese territory."
Israeli military said that it would continue to allow Gazans to evacuate southward, hundreds of thousands have already relocated.
The German government on Sunday urged its nationals not to travel to Israel, the Palestinian territories or Lebanon because of "an escalation of violence" following the Hamas attacks on Israel.
The travel warning is at the highest level given by the German government. In its statement, the foreign ministry also said it would "do its utmost" to support citizens wishing to leave Israel or the Palestinian territories.
The Israeli military said at least 279 of its soldiers killed since 7 October, and the number of confirmed Gaza hostages increased to 126.
At Gaza City’s main hospital, al-Shifa, a crowd of men, women and children that medical officials estimated at 35,000 crammed into the hospital and its grounds, hoping the facility would be spared in the coming attack.
The World Health Organization said evacuation in Gaza “could be tantamount to a death sentence" for more than 2,000 patients in northern hospitals, including newborns in incubators and people in intensive care.
Ex-JNU leader and human rights activist Shehla Rashid has praised the Indian Army, PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, LG Manoj Sinha, and Chinar Corps for bringing peace to Kashmir.
Rashid wrote, "Looking at the events in the Middle East, today I realise how lucky we are as Indians. The Indian Army and security forces have sacrificed their everything for our safety".
One person died and three were wounded in the attack on an Israeli village near the Lebanese border, according to Israeli medics.
The US embassy in Israel offered Americans and immediate relatives evacuation by sea from Haifa to Cyprus in Egypt on 16 October.
Israel's official account on the X platform hailed the Indian Cricket team's victory against Pakistan in the ongoing ICC World Cup match.
It wrote, "We were really moved by Indian friends showing their solidarity with Israel...We are happy that India emerged victorious in the India vs Pakistan match at CWC 2023 and that Pakistan was unable to attribute its victory to the terrorists of Hamas".
Israel is a small country in the Middle East, located on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea and bordered by Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
According to History TV, Israel’s origins can be traced back to Abraham, who is considered the father of both Judaism (through his son Isaac) and Islam (through his son Ishmael).
Abraham’s descendants were thought to have been enslaved by the Egyptians for hundreds of years before settling in Canaan, which is approximately the region of modern-day Israel.
The word Israel comes from Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, who was renamed “Israel" by the Hebrew God in the Bible.
From 1517 to 1917, what is today Israel, along with much of the Middle East, was ruled by the Ottoman Empire.
But World War I dramatically altered the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East. In 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour submitted a letter of intent supporting the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
When World War I ended in 1918, the 400-year Ottoman Empire's rule ended, and Great Britain took control over what became known as Palestine.
The British controlled Palestine until Israel, in the years following the end of World War II, became an independent state in 1947.
Throughout Israel’s long history, tensions between Jews and Arab Muslims have existed.
Both Jews and Muslims consider the city of Jerusalem sacred. It contains the Temple Mount, which includes the holy sites al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, and more.
Much of the conflict in recent years has centered around who is occupying the following areas: Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and West Bank.
The United Nations approved a plan to partition Palestine into a Jewish and Arab state in 1947, but the Arabs rejected it.
In May 1948, Israel was officially declared an independent state with David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, as the prime minister.
While this historic event seemed to be a victory for Jews, it also marked the beginning of more violence with the Arabs.
Following the announcement of an independent Israel, five Arab nations—Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon—immediately invaded the region in what became known as the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
Civil war broke out throughout all of Israel, but a cease-fire agreement was reached in 1949. As part of the temporary armistice agreement, the West Bank became part of Jordan, and the Gaza Strip became Egyptian territory.
Clashes between Israelis and Palestinians are still commonplace.
Israel has been involved in repeated violence with Hamas, a Sunni Islamist militant group that assumed Palestinian power in 2006. Some of the more significant conflicts took place beginning in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021, and 2023.
Gaza's 2.3 million civilians faced a deepening struggle for food, water and safety Sunday and braced for a looming invasion a week after Hamas militants launched a deadly assault on Israel.
Israeli forces, supported by a growing deployment of US warships in the region, positioned themselves along Gaza's border and drilled for what Israel said would be a broad campaign to dismantle the militant group.
The Israeli military has killed another Hamas commander, involved in murderous attacks on the two Israeli border villages of Nirim and Nir Oz.
Israel Security Agency, Billal Al-Qedra, the commander of the so-called Nukhba unit's southern Khan Yunis battalion, was killed in an airstrike, the Israel Air Force (IAF) said on Sunday.
Also read: Israel Palestine War: Here's all about Hamas' special military unit 'Nukhba force'
Israeli communication minister on Sunday said he was seeking approval from cabinet for a proposed shutdown of the Al Jazeera Bureau. The Israeli minister said that Qatar's Al Jazeera is helping Hamas, inciting against Israel and filming troops in vulnerable areas.
The death toll in the Gaza Strip climbed to 2,329 Palestinians dead and 9,714 injured on Sunday morning, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Israel has prepared for a ground offensive in Gaza after giving Palestinians a little more time to flee northern areas it has vowed to target in response to the deadliest attack in its history.
Israel has warned around 1.1 million Gazans living in the north of the Palestinian territory to flee to the south ahead of a ground incursion which the military has indicated will focus on Gaza City, the base of the leadership of the Hamas militant group.
A stream of cars, trucks, three-wheeled vehicles, and donkey-drawn carts joined the frantic mass movement south, all loaded with families and their belongings, mattresses, bedding, and bags strapped onto the roofs of parked vehicles.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in the US capital, marching past the White House to chants of "Free Palestine" as the death toll continued to climb in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Across the country, Americans have held pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests in the week since Hamas militants broke through the heavily fortified border between the Gaza Strip and Israel killed more than 1,300 people.
A senior Israeli official accused Iran of trying to open a second war front by deploying weapons in or through Syria as Israel steps up a counter-offensive in Gaza to the south.
Many Jewish students and their allies, some with family and friends in Israel, have demanded bold reckonings and strong condemnation after the attacks by Hamas militants.
Meanwhile, some Muslim students have joined with allies to call for a recognition of decades of suffering by Palestinians in Gaza, plus condemnation of the response by Israel.
On many campuses, these students agree on one thing: Their colleges, which are increasingly staking out positions of neutrality, have not done enough to support them.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Sunday as Israel prepared to launch a ground assault in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Israel's actions in Gaza have gone "beyond the scope of self-defence" and the Israeli government must "cease its collective punishment of the people of Gaza", China's foreign minister Wang Yi said.
An Indian national who returned to India from Israel told ANI that the situation is normal in Tel Aviv but a war-like situation may erupt in north and south Israel.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has condemned Israeli troop's attack on the Gaza Strip. He said, "Israel has occupied Gaza for the past 70 years but the whole world is silent. The poor people of Gaza with a population of 21 lakh, 10 lakh have been rendered homeless".
Amid escalating tension in Gaza after the Hamas attacks against Israel, US President Joe Biden called President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and said that the militant group "does not stand for the Palestinian people's right to dignity and self-determination".
"Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people's right to dignity and self-determination," Biden told Abbas.
Biden in the call also pledged "full support" to the Palestinian Authority in its efforts to bring humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, ", particularly in Gaza".
People gather at Town Hall, Australia in support of Palestine amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Chinese envoy Zhai Jun will visit the Middle East next week to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and promote peace talks.
The report has come as Israel appeared poised for a ground offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza.
More than one million people in the northern Gaza Strip have been ordered to flee ahead of the expected assault by Israeli troops.
Thousands of Palestinians fled the northern Gaza Strip ahead of an expected Israeli ground assault on Sunday. Israel said it kept two roads open to let people escape.
A rally was conducted at Harvard University campus in support of Palestine after the terror attacks committed by Hamas in Israel.
