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LIVE UPDATES: IDF Airstrikes Destroy 550 Hamas Facilities in Gaza Strip

Sputnik International

Hostilities roar around Gaza Strip where Israeli Defense Forces continue operation “Iron Swords.” A day earlier Hamas militant group launched over 5,000 missiles towards Israel and called for a fight “to Free Palestinian Lands.”

2023-10-08T08:02+0000

2023-10-09T04:50+0000

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LIVE UPDATES: IDF Airstrikes Destroy 550 Hamas Facilities in Gaza Strip

08:02 GMT 08.10.2023 (Updated: 04:50 GMT 09.10.2023)

Hostilities raged around the Gaza Strip as the Israel Defense Forces continued Operation Swords of Iron. A day earlier, the militant group Hamas fired more than 5,000 rockets at Israel, calling for a fight "to liberate Palestinian lands."

The IDF was caught off guard as Palestinian fighters infiltrated Israel by land, sea, and even paragliders.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that "the nation is at war" and vowed harsh retaliation against Hamas. The IDF launched an offensive operation that included strikes in the Gaza Strip. It appears that Lebanon and the militant organization Hezbollah are being pulled into the conflict, as Netanyahu declared the conclusion of the initial phase of the IDF military operation and the removal of the majority of Hamas forces from Israeli territory.

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03:39 GMT 09.10.2023

Over 123,000 Palestinians Flee Their Homes in Gaza Due to Armed Conflict With Israel

More than 123,000 Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict escalates, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Sunday.

"As of 21:00, 123,538 Palestinians had been displaced in Gaza," the OCHA said in a statement.

03:38 GMT 09.10.2023

UAE Calls Hamas Attacks on Israeli Towns a Dangerous Escalation

Attacks by the Hamas movement on Israeli towns and villages are a dangerous escalation, the United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

"The Ministry stressed that attacks by Hamas against Israeli towns and villages near the Gaza strip, including the firing of thousands of rockets at population centers, are a serious and grave escalation. The Ministry is appalled by reports that Israeli civilians have been abducted as hostages from their homes," the ministry said in a statement.

The statement added that both Israeli and Palestinian civilians "must always have full protection under international humanitarian law and must never be a target of conflict."

03:35 GMT 09.10.2023

Qatar Making Diplomatic Efforts to Reduce Escalation in Palestine

Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani held phone talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and noted that Qatar is making all its diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions between Israel and Palestine, Qatar’s state news agency reported on Sunday.

The Emir of Qatar also reaffirmed the firm position of his country on the Palestinian issue and the protection of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, especially their right to establish an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, the report added.

Al-Thani also condemned Israel's violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, which undermine the possibility of achieving a solution to the conflict, the report said.

02:30 GMT 09.10.2023

Blinken Calls on Number of Arab Countries to Condemn Hamas Operation

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held negotiations with several foreign ministers of the Arab countries that have peace agreements with Israel and urged them to condemn the operation of the Hamas movement against Israel, a US news portal reported on Sunday, citing a US official.

The report noted, however, that these Arab countries did not comply with Blinken’s request.

01:29 GMT 09.10.2023

Netanyahu Gains Support of Germany, Italy, UK, Ukraine

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held on Sunday telephone conversations with the leaders of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Ukraine, who voiced their support for Israel amid its armed conflict with Hamas, the prime minister's office said.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, all of whom expressed unreserved support for Israel's right to defend itself as necessary," the office said in a statement.

01:27 GMT 09.10.2023

Hamas Says Captured Over 100 Israeli Citizens, Including Military Officers

A member of Hamas’ Political Bureau said that more than 100 Israeli citizens, including high-ranking military officials, were captured and moved to the Gaza Strip.

"More than a hundred. Among them are high-ranking officers," the member of the Political Bureau told Al-Ghad broadcaster when asked about the number of captured Israelis.

At the same time, an Israeli official, commenting on media reports about Egypt's alleged mediation in negotiations with Hamas on the release of captive Israelis, said that Israel is not conducting any negotiations regarding the prisoners, an Israeli newspaper reported.

Earlier in the day, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasem told Sputnik that negotiations over captured Israeli soldiers would take place after the end of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

00:47 GMT 09.10.2023

Erdogan to Discuss Settlement of Israel-Palestine Conflict With Cabinet on Monday

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will discuss with the Cabinet of Ministers on Monday Ankara's diplomatic steps to resolve the situation in Israel, a source in the Turkish presidential administration told Sputnik on Sunday.

"Tomorrow, a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers will be held at the residence of Mr. President … Mr. President is monitoring the situation in Israel and will discuss with the Cabinet of Ministers the diplomatic efforts that Ankara can make to resolve the situation," the source said.

On the same day, a diplomatic source told Sputnik that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also discussed with his UAE counterpart, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

"Today [October 8] Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had a telephone conversation with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During the conversation, the latest events in Israel and Palestine were discussed," the source added.

00:38 GMT 09.10.2023

Washington Residents Hold Demonstration in Front of White House in Support of Palestine

About 100 people held a demonstration in front of the White House in Washington to support Palestine against the background of the escalation of the conflict with Israel, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Sunday.

The rally took place in front of US President Joe Biden's residence in Lafayette Square in the center of Washington, the correspondent reported, adding that about 100 people participated in the action. The demonstrators waved flags of Palestine and held banners saying "Free Palestine," "Free all Palestinian political prisoners," "End all US aid to Israel," and "End the occupation now."

Later, the demonstrators marched from the White House to the State Department’s building, where the rally ended. The police had to block some streets but there were no detentions.

23:35 GMT 08.10.2023

Iranian President Holds Talks With Leader of Islamic Jihad Movement

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held a telephone conversation with the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

The parties discussed the recent escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as well as the domestic situation in Palestine itself, the Iranian news agency reported.

23:32 GMT 08.10.2023

White House Confirms 'Several' US Citizens Killed in Hamas Attack on Israel This Weekend

Several American citizens were killed in the Hamas attacks on Israel this weekend, a White House National Security Council spokesperson told Sputnik on Sunday.

"We can confirm the deaths of several US citizens," the spokesperson said.

The United States continues to monitor the situation closely and remain in touch with its Israeli partners, particularly the local authorities, the spokesperson added.

Earlier on Sunday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the United States is deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean to bolster US regional deterrence efforts in response to the Hamas attack on Israel. The United States will also be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions, which will begin arriving in the coming days, Austin added.

23:22 GMT 08.10.2023

Telegram Founder Durov Says Support for Hebrew Language Now Added to Messenger

Telegram Founder Pavel Durov announced Sunday that the messenger now supports the Hebrew language in addition to Arabic as hundreds of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians are signing up for the messaging service.

"Hundreds of thousands are signing up for Telegram from Israel and the Palestinian Territories. In addition to Arabic, we've just added support for Hebrew in the Telegram UI [user interface]," Durov said on Telegram.

Durov also said that everyone affected should have "reliable access to news and and private communication in these dire times."

21:59 GMT 08.10.2023

Rocket Fired From Gaza Strip Hits Residential Building in Israel’s Ashkelon

A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a residential building in the city of Ashkelon in southern Israel, an Israeli news portal reported.

Earlier in the day, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said that it launched rocket attacks on the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, as well as the city of Ashkelon. In particular, the military wing said that 100 rockets were fired towards Ashkelon.

The report added that a fire broke out in two apartments of the building, with firefighters trying to extinguish the fire there. Rescue services are also investigating whether there were any residents in the apartments, the news portal reported.

21:57 GMT 08.10.2023

Hamas’ Armed Wing Says Fired Rockets at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, City of Ashkelon

Armed wing of the Hamas movement, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said that it launched rocket attacks on the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and the city of Ashkelon, located in the southern part of Israel.

"Al-Qassam Brigades fired a salvo of rockets at the Zionist [Israeli] Ben Gurion Airport in response to ongoing crimes and shelling of civilian homes," the military wing said in a statement, adding that it also fired 100 rockets towards Ashkelon.

At the same time, the Israeli army said that rocket warning alarms went off in central Israel.

21:10 GMT 08.10.2023

Israeli Opposition Party's Entry to Emergency Gov't to Be Discussed on October 9

The representatives of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and of opposition leader Benny Gantz will discuss the National Unity party's entry into an emergency government on the morning of October 9, an Israeli newspaper reported on Sunday.

The report said that Netanyahu's lawyer Michael Rabello will head the talks that will involve the party's member Ronen Aviani. Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs is also expected to join the talks, the report added.

Earlier in the day, the newspaper reported that opposition leader Yair Lapid proposed Netanyahu that they form a joint emergency government amid the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

21:07 GMT 08.10.2023

Death Toll From Israeli Air Strikes in Gaza Strip Rises to 413

The death toll from Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip has increased to 413, with 78 of them children, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Sunday, adding that 2,300 people were wounded.

"The Palestinian Health Information Center recorded the death of 413 people, with 78 children and 41 women. A total of 2,300 people were injured, including 213 children and 140 women," the health ministry said in a statement.

Israeli media reported earlier in the day that the death toll from Hamas air strikes in Israel has risen to more than 700 and that over 2,200 people were injured as a result of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

21:06 GMT 08.10.2023

Death Toll From Hamas Air Strikes in Israel Rises to Over 700

The death toll from Hamas air strikes in Israel has risen to more than 700, an Israeli broadcaster reported on Sunday.

At the same time, the number of those wounded in Israel has increased to 2,243 people as a result of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Israeli newspaper reported, citing the country's health ministry.

The report said that 22 people were in critical condition, 343 were seriously injured and 439 sustained moderate injuries.

The Israeli government announced earlier on Sunday that it had invoked Article 40 of the Basic Law, which means the country officially entered a state of war.

18:30 GMT 08.10.2023

New Missiles Being Launched From the Gaza Strip

18:28 GMT 08.10.2023

At Least 70 Bombs Were Dropped Simultaneously in Al-Shajaiya Area

18:19 GMT 08.10.2023

Israel Defense Forces Fully Coordinate Actions With Pentagon's Central Command - Spokesman

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are fully coordinating the actions with the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and monitoring the situation in Israel's north, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Sunday.

"We are also monitoring the country's north. We are fully coordinating with the Pentagon's central command with complete readiness. [IDF Chief of Staff Herzi] Halevi has just finished a conversation with Gen. [CENTCOM Commander Michael] Kurilla and will hold another conversation in the coming hours," Hagari said in a statement.

17:45 GMT 08.10.2023

The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, DC, on March 2, 2022 - Sputnik International, 1920, 08.10.2023

World

US Deploying Carrier Strike Group to Eastern Mediterranean Amid Hamas Attacks - Pentagon

8 October 2023, 17:45 GMT