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🔴 Live: Israeli army calls on Gaza City residents to evacuate
Israel’s army called Friday for all Gaza City residents to evacuate their homes and head south of the territory “for their safety”. Addressed to the 1.1 million people living north of Wadi Gaza, the warning came as Israel amassed tanks near the border and pounded the Palestinian enclave with air strikes following Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on Saturday, October 7. Follow our live blog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
Issued on: 13/10/2023 – 03:58
Modified: 13/10/2023 – 11:31
12 min
Palestinians mourn the deaths of people from the Samour family, who were killed in Israeli air strikes on their house, as residents struggle to find cemetery space in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 12, 2023.01:54
Palestinians mourn the deaths of people from the Samour family, who were killed in Israeli air strikes on their house, as residents struggle to find cemetery space in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 12, 2023. © Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Reuters
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11:24am: States with clout should insist on respect of law, UN says
The United Nations’ human rights office on Friday called on all states, especially those with international clout, to insist on the full respect of international law in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“We are calling for a global call, an unequivocal call from every member state in the international community, particularly those with influence, to insist upon full respect for international humanitarian law,” said UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.
11:21am: Gaza ground operation would lead to ‘unacceptable’ civilian victims, Putin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said an Israeli ground operation in Gaza would result in “unacceptable” civilian losses and that the main thing was to stop the bloodshed.
Putin, speaking in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, said the conflict should be resolved by peaceful means and that Russia supports a two-state solution.
11:15am: Israel army admits Gaza evacuation will ‘take time’, does not confirm 24-hour deadline
Israel’s military admitted Friday it would take time for Palestinians to follow its orders to evacuate north Gaza, but did not confirm a UN report that it had set a 24-hour deadline.
“We are trying to provide the time and we are doing a lot of effort, and we understand it won’t take 24 hours,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari told journalists.
“I will not say (if) it’s an accurate time,” he added, when asked to confirm the army had informed UN officials Gazans had 24 hours to flee.
11:14am: Jordan king warns against displacing Palestinians to neighbouring countries
Jordanian King Abdullah II warned Friday in a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken against displacing Palestinians as Israel readies a major offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas attacks.
“The crisis should not be spread to neighbouring countries and exacerbate the refugee issue,” the king told Blinken, according to a palace statement.
11:04am: At least 258 Israeli soldiers killed since Hamas attack, army says
At least 258 Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting against Palestinian militants since Hamas militants attacked Israel on Saturday, the army said Friday.
“The bereaved families of 258 fallen soldiers have been formally notified,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari told a press briefing, revising up an earlier toll of 169 slain troops.
10:59am: ‘Impossible’ to evacuate vulnerable patients from north Gaza, WHO says
The World Health Organization said Friday that the Palestinian health ministry has told them it would be impossible to move vulnerable hospital patients to the south of the Gaza Strip.
“The Palestinian Ministry of Health has informed WHO that is impossible to evacuate vulnerable hospital patients from the north of Gaza,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva, following Israel’s call for 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza to relocate to the south of the territory within 24 hours.
10:46am: Norway condemns ‘unacceptable’ siege of Gaza
Norway on Friday condemned Israel’s “unacceptable” siege of Gaza after the Hamas militant group’s bloody attack on Israel.
“Israel is entitled to defend itself … but it cannot use all possible means,” Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt told public radio NRK.
“I condemn this siege because you have to, when they ask so many people to leave, when they don’t have access to food and medicine,” she added.
10:40am: Israeli embassy employee attacked in Beijing, Israel foreign ministry says
An Israeli embassy employee in Beijing was attacked on Friday, Israel’s foreign ministry said.
“An Israeli employee of the Israeli embassy in Beijing was attacked today,” a foreign ministry statement said, adding the victim was being treated at a hospital and was in stable condition.
10:39am: Hundreds of rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel
Hamas armed wing Al-Qassam Brigades said on Friday that it launched 150 rockets towards the city of Ashkelon in Israel “in response to the displacement and targeting of civilians”.
10:33am: Iran urges US to ‘control’ Israel to avert regional war
The United States must rein in Israel to avert a regional spillover of the war with Hamas, Iran’s top diplomat said Friday in Beirut, adding Tehran was seeking to safeguard Lebanon’s security.
“If the Americans want to prevent the war in the region from developing, they must control Israel,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, adding, “one of the goals of our trip is to stress on Lebanon’s security”.
10:23am: Thousands rally in Baghdad and Tehran in support of Palestinians
Thousands of Iraqis poured onto the streets of Baghdad Friday in support of Palestinians amid Israeli air strikes on Gaza in reprisal for a deadly Hamas attack, state television said.
“No to the occupation! No to America!” chanted the demonstrators, who had gathered in Tahrir Square after Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr called for a demonstration “in support of Gaza” and against Israel, an AFP journalist reported.
Supporters of Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gather during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Baghdad, Iraq, October 13, 2023.
Supporters of Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gather during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Baghdad, Iraq, October 13, 2023. © Ahmed Saad, Reuters
Meanwhile in Iran, thousands gather in the streets of Tehran in a similar demonstration of support for Palestinians.
The demonstrators waved the flags of Iran, Palestine and Hezbollah and held banners that read “Down with America” and “Down with Israel” as they marched in the Iranian capital, an AFP journalist said.
9:46am: Iran FM meets Hezbollah head in Lebanon, local media says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met the head of the powerful Tehran-backed armed group Hezbollah in Lebanon on Friday, local Lebanese media outlets reported.
Amirabdollahian, who arrived in Beirut late on Thursday, met Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to discuss the aftermath of a deadly operation by Hamas militants against Israeli towns last weekend, Al-Mayadeen television reported.
9:38am: Hamas says 13 hostages killed in Israel strikes on Gaza
At least 13 Israeli and foreign hostages held in the northern Gaza Strip have been killed in Israeli air strikes in the past 24 hours, Hamas’s armed wing said Friday.
“Thirteen prisoners… including foreigners” were killed in five locations targeted by Israeli fighter jets, the Al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement.
9:36am: Hamas rejects Israel order to evacuate north Gaza
Hamas on Friday rejected an Israeli order for 1.1 million residents to evacuate northern Gaza within 24 hours ahead of an expected ground incursion into the overcrowded Palestinian territory.
“Our Palestinian people reject the threat of the occupation (Israeli) leaders and its call for them to leave their homes and flee from them to the south or Egypt,” Hamas said in a statement.
9:25am: Aid workers struggle to help Gazans amid talk of aid suspension
As Israel continues to carry out air strikes on the Gaza strip, humanitarian aid workers struggle to provide help to civilian victims.
The struggle may become even more difficult as politicians talk of suspending financial aid to Gaza over fears of bolstering Hamas.
So far, the European Union has been the greatest contributor of financial support to Palestinians with €1.2 billion earmarked for the period 2021 to 2024.
Please click on the video player below to watch the report.
Gaza 202301:59
Gaza 2023 © France 24
8:57am: Gaza death toll rises to 1,537, including 500 minors
The death toll from Israeli strikes on Gaza rose to 1,537, with 6,612 people wounded, the Gaza-based health ministry said Thursday.
Of those killed, 500 were under the age of 18, the ministry said.
8:53am: US defence secretary arrives in Israel on visit to show solidarity
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel Friday for a visit aimed at showing solidarity with a country still reeling from a devastating Hamas attack that has left thousands dead.
Austin will meet with officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant during the visit to Israel – his third as Pentagon chief – which follows one by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
8:21am: Israel-Lebanon cross-border strikes: Situation ‘much more stable’
The situation has become much more stable in Lebanon after Hezbollah exchanged fire with Israeli forces from northern border on Tuesday and Wednesday, said FRANCE 24’s correspondent Rawad Taha, reporting from Beirut.
No major incident has been reported since an attack Thursday claimed by Hezbollah on an Israeli military site that killed one and wounded another.
Please click on the video player below to watch the report.
01:14
7:42am: Turkish, Emirati foreign ministers discuss Gaza humanitarian situation
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday held a call with his Emirati counterpart to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza amid fighting between Israeli and Palestinian forces there, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.
The source provided no further details. Turkey has offered to mediate the conflict and wants to send humanitarian aid to Palestinians affected by the fighting.
Fidan will travel to Egypt on Friday for talks on regional issues.
7:07am: Blinken begins Arab tour as Israel readies Gaza move
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday began a tour of Arab capitals as he seeks to build pressure on Hamas while Israel readies a likely massive offensive on the Gaza Strip following the militants’ attacks.
The top US diplomat will meet Jordan’s King Abdullah II, a longtime US partner, and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Amman and will then visit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
Blinken spent Thursday in Tel Aviv where he promised unwavering solidarity to US ally Israel after the surprise October 7 offensive by Hamas, who killed over 1,200 people and took about 150 more hostage.
6:49am: UNRWA moves Gaza operations centre, international staff south
The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said it relocated its central operations centre and international staff to Gaza’s south to continue its humanitarian operations and support its staff and Palestinian refugees.
“We urge the Israeli Authorities to protect all civilians in UNRWA shelters including schools,” the agency said on social media platform X.
6:46am: Israel army says it has called on Gaza City residents to evacuate to south
Israel’s army called Friday for all Gaza City residents to evacuate their homes and head south of the territory “for their safety”.
“The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) calls for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza as shown on the map,” the army said in a statement.
Gaza strip map
Gaza strip map © FRANCE 24
5:25am: UN urges Israel to call off northern Gaza evacuation order
The United Nations was informed that Israel had ordered 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza to relocate to the south of the territory within 24 hours, a UN spokesperson said Thursday, calling for the order to be rescinded on humanitarian grounds.
“The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general said.
5:00am: UN says Israeli military warns 1.1 million Gazans to relocate south
The United Nations said early on Friday it has been told by the Israeli military that some 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza should relocate to the enclave’s south within the next 24 hours.
“The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
Dujarric said the order by the Israeli military also applied to all UN staff and those sheltered in UN facilities, including schools, health centres and clinics.
4:50am: Brazil calls for humanitarian corridor for Gaza residents
The president of Brazil, which holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, has appealed to his Israeli counterpart for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to enable people in the Gaza Strip to flee to Egypt, he said Thursday.
The comments by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva add Brazil to the voices of European foreign ministers and the World Health Organization that have called for the establishment of a route to either allow people to flee the Palestinian enclave or let humanitarian aid flow in.
“I recently spoke on the phone with the President of Israel Isaac Herzog,” Lula said on X, formerly Twitter. “I conveyed my call for a humanitarian corridor so that people who want to leave the Gaza Strip through Egypt can be safe.”
3:38am: North Korea denies its weapons used by Hamas against Israel
North Korea denied on Friday its weapons were used by Hamas in the attack against Israel, saying the claim made in some media reports was a bid by Washington to divert the blame for the conflict from itself to a third country.
Radio Free Asia reported this week citing military experts that Hamas militants may be using North Korean weapons and said footage of Palestinian fighters showed what appeared to be a rocket launcher suspected to be from the North.
3:00am: US colleges become flashpoints for protests on both sides of Israel-Hamas war
At Columbia University on Thursday, two groups of hundreds of students tensely faced each other in duelling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations, while university officials blocked public access to the New York City campus as a safety measure.
Supporters of Palestinians, many of whom wore face masks to hide their identities, held signs in a grassy area near a library that read “Free Palestine” and “To Exist is to Resist”.
About 100 feet (30 meters) away, students backing Israel silently held up posters with the faces of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas.
2:30am: UN calls for $294 million for ‘urgent needs’ in Gaza, occupied West Bank
The United Nations on Thursday issued an emergency appeal for $294 million to address “the most urgent needs” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The funds would be used to help more than 1.2 million people, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said, stressing that aid groups do not have “the resources required to adequately respond to the full range of needs of vulnerable Palestinians”.
1:40am: More than 423,000 people displaced in Gaza, says UN
More than 423,000 people have now been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations said, as heavy Israeli bombardments continue to hit the Palestinian enclave.
As of late Thursday, the number of displaced people in Gaza had risen by an additional 84,444 people and reached 423,378, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in a statement sent on Friday.
1:35am: Human Rights Watch says Israel used white phosphorous in Gaza, Lebanon
Human Rights Watch on Thursday accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, saying the use of such weapons puts civilians at risk of serious and long-term injury.
Asked for comment on the allegations, Israel’s military said it was “currently not aware of the use of weapons containing white phosphorous in Gaza”.
It did not provide comment on the rights watchdog’s allegations of their use in Lebanon.
Key developments from Thursday, October 12:
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An Israeli airstrike on a residential building in the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza on Thursday killed at least 45 people and wounded dozens more, said Gaza health authorities.
As Gazans braced for a likely ground offensive, the Israeli army said they had bombarded the besieged enclave with approximately 6,000 bombs containing 4,000 tonnes of explosives since Saturday’s Hamas attack.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Tel Aviv on Thursday as part of a wider Middle East tour to display Washington’s solidarity with Israel after the attack by Palestinian Hamas militants and to seek to quell the conflict.
Read yesterday’s liveblog to see how the day’s events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
