https://sputnikglobe.com/20231105/live-updates-israeli-army-gains-access-to-hamas-underground-tunnels-in-northern-gaza-strip---idf-1114732197.html

LIVE UPDATES: Israeli Army Gains Access to Hamas Underground Tunnels in Northern Gaza Strip - IDF

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In early October, the militant Palestinian group Hamas launched an attack on Israel from Gaza, breaching the border and unleashing brutal violence and a barrage of rockets. Israel responded with airstrikes, a blockade of Gaza, and a ground invasion of the enclave, home to more than two million people.

2023-11-05T04:49+0000

2023-12-05T09:23+0000

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LIVE UPDATES: Israeli Army Gains Access to Hamas Underground Tunnels in Northern Gaza Strip - IDF

04:49 GMT 05.11.2023 (Updated: 09:23 GMT 05.12.2023)

On 7 October, the Palestinian group Hamas launched a large-scale surprise rocket attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, breaching the border and causing casualties in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched a series of retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million people.

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) has been conducting its ground operation in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to eliminate Hamas fighters and rescue hostages since 27 October.

On 1 November, Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing to allow between 5,000 and 7,000 foreigners to leave Gaza as part of a deal announced Wednesday, a US news agency reported, citing US officials.

Over the past week, the IDF has launched several attacks on the Jabalia refugee camp, reportedly killing more than 680 people.

The escalation of the conflict, which has left some 1,400 dead in Israel and more than 9,000 in Gaza, has raised the risk of a wider regional conflict because of fears that neighboring countries could enter the fray.

Follow Sputnik’s live feed to learn more.

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03:59 GMT 06.11.2023

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz issues a statement at the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, July 27, 2020. - Sputnik International, 1920, 06.11.2023

World

Israeli Soldiers Detain German Journalists in West Bank - Reports

6 November 2023, 03:55 GMT

03:05 GMT 06.11.2023

IDF Says 347 Israeli Soldiers Killed Since Start of Hostilities With Hamas

The number of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers killed since the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on October 7 has risen to 347, IDF spokesperson RDML Daniel Hagari said on Sunday.

"We have informed families of 347 fallen soldiers who have fallen in battle in defense of Israel," Hagari said in a statement.

02:10 GMT 06.11.2023

CIA Director to Visit Israel Next Week to Discuss Fight Against Hamas - Reports

US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns will visit Israel next week to discuss Israel's armed clash with Hamas, The Times of Israel newspaper reported on Sunday, citing a source.

Burns will also visit Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt to discuss efforts to free hostages held in the Gaza Strip, the report added.

01:41 GMT 06.11.2023

Budapest Says Asked Qatar to Help in Release of Hungarian Hostages From Gaza

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Sunday that he had held a telephone conversation with Qatari State Minister for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, during which he asked Qatar for assistance in the release of five Hungarian hostages from the Gaza Strip.

"This afternoon I spoke by phone with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Qatar Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, we reviewed the regional security situation. I told my colleague that we are aware of five people with partial Hungarian citizenship who are still in captivity, and I asked him to help free them," Szijjarto said on social media.

He also added that Al-Muraikhi "highly appreciated the bilateral relations" between Hungary and Qatar and "promised to petition for the release of the Hungarian hostages."

23:50 GMT 05.11.2023

Israel Intensifies Use of White Phosphorus Over Past 2 Days - Palestinian Ministry

Israel has increased the use of white phosphorus munitions in the past two days, causing fires and clouds of toxic gasses, the Palestinian Interior Ministry said on Sunday.

"Over the past 48 hours, the occupiers have intensified the use of internationally banned white phosphorus bombs, and last night the highest levels of phosphorus were recorded in the Al Shati camp, causing the formation of clouds of toxic gasses and the outbreak of fires," the ministry said in a statement.

On October 13, the Human Rights Watch non-governmental organization said that it had verified videos of Israel using artillery-fired white phosphorus to strike Lebanon and the Gaza Strip on October 10 and 11 and warned of grave risks to civilians. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions at the time.

The use of incendiary weapons, such as napalm or white phosphorus, is banned under Protocol III of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects.

22:06 GMT 05.11.2023

Blinken Says US Supporting Creation of Palestinian State - State Department

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, during which he emphasized Washington's determination to promote the creation of a Palestinian state, the State Department said on Sunday.

"Secretary Blinken reiterated that the United States remains committed to advancing equal measures of dignity and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike. The Secretary also expressed the commitment of the United States to working toward the realization of the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations for the establishment of a Palestinian state," the department said in a statement.

In addition, Blinken noted that Palestinians should not be forcibly displaced, the statement read.

"Secretary Blinken and President Abbas discussed efforts to restore calm and stability in the West Bank, including the need to stop extremist violence against Palestinians and hold those accountable responsible," the statement said.

Abbas, in turn, stressed the need for a ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, Sky News Arabia reported.

21:02 GMT 05.11.2023

Israeli Military Says 75 Trucks Carrying Aid Entered Gaza in Past 24 Hours

A total of 75 trucks carrying relief aid entered the Gaza Strip from Egypt over the past 24 hours, the Israeli Defense Ministry's agency responsible for coordinating government activities in the occupied Palestinian territories said Sunday.

"75 trucks carrying international humanitarian aid were inspected and transferred to gaza via the Rafah crossing today. The trucks contained medical supplies, food, and water," COGAT said on social media.

Thirty trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossed into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, bringing up to 451 the number of trucks that entered Gaza since October 21. This averages 30 trucks a day.

20:55 GMT 05.11.2023

Israel Intensifies Air Strikes on Gaza – Reports

The Israeli air forces intensified strikes against Gaza City on Sunday night, Israeli media reported.

The Haaretz newspaper reported that the IDF air force was carrying out "extensive" attacks in the city after the Israeli military said that its ground assault had encircled the city and split the Palestinian exclave in two.

20:33 GMT 05.11.2023

UNRWA Says 79 Staff Killed in Gaza Bombardment

The UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees has lost 79 employees to the Gaza conflict in the past four weeks, a situation report published Sunday showed.

"Confirmed numbers, since October 7: 79 UNRWA colleagues killed, 48 UNRWA installations damaged," the report read.

It also estimated that 77 trucks of medical supplies, food and water, including 12 provided by UNRWA, entered the Gaza Strip from Egypt through the Rafah border crossing from November 3-4.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said earlier in the day that it was not able to get through to the vast majority of its team providing aid in Gaza after Israel cut off communications across the besieged exclave.

19:22 GMT 05.11.2023

Palestinians react to the debris after an Israeli strike near an United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) school in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip on October 21, 2023. - Sputnik International, 1920, 05.11.2023

World

UNRWA Says Lost Contact With Most Employees in Gaza Strip

5 November 2023, 19:21 GMT

19:09 GMT 05.11.2023

Israeli Military Says Cut Gaza Strip in Half, Surrounded Gaza City

The Israel Defense Forces has surrounded Gaza City and effectively split the Palestinian exclave into northern and southern halves, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Sunday.

"Today, IDF forces from the Golani infantry brigade surrounded Gaza City, reached the sea and are standing their ground. Gaza City has also been surrounded from the south, de facto creating a northern and southern Gaza Strip," he told reporters.

"We are maintaining the corridor open that allows citizens in the northern part of the enclave and in Gaza City to move southward," Hagari added.

19:09 GMT 05.11.2023

US Not Seeking Conflict With Iran, Will Do Everything to Protect Personnel - Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a trip to Iraq on Sunday that Washington was not seeking conflict with Tehran but would do what is necessary to protect US personnel in the region from militias that it believes are backed by Iran.

"We are not looking for conflict with Iran. We've made that very clear. But we'll do what's necessary to protect our personnel, be they military or civilian," he said in Baghdad after meeting with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

Blinken said he had made it "very clear" that militia attacks against US military installations were "totally unacceptable."

A humanitarian pause in fighting, Blinken said, would be a welcome step but it would have to address several issues, including the return of hostages.

"It's important that a pause advances a number of things - one of them is hostages," Blinken said, adding Washington was "intensely focused to bring them home."

The diplomat also told reporters that US and Iraqi governments were working to make sure that the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza did not spread to other places.

18:37 GMT 05.11.2023

Hamas Military Wing Says Fired Rockets at Tel Aviv

The military wing of Palestinian group Hamas said on Sunday it had fired rockets at Tel Aviv in retaliation for the Israeli aggression against Gaza Strip civilians.

"The al-Qassam Brigades has fired a rocket salvo at Tel Aviv in response to the Zionist massacre of civilians," it said in a statement.

A Sputnik correspondent in Tel Aviv said an air raid alert was sounded in the city on Sunday for the first time in three days. There were no immediate reports of falling rocket debris or casualties.

18:12 GMT 05.11.2023

Turkish Police Fire Tear Gas to Deter Pro-Palestinian Rally From US Base - Report

Turkish police used tear gas and water cannons on Sunday to disperse a large pro-Palestinian rally near Incirlik Air Base in Adana, which also houses US Air Force personnel, Turkish news agency DHA reported.

The rally was organized by the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation. It published footage of the protest march on social media, which showed a thousands-strong crowd carrying Turkish and Palestinian flags gathered outside the base, an important US and NATO foothold in the region.

Anti-American sentiment has been on the rise in Turkiye after Washington backed Israel's military operation against the Gaza Strip. Israeli bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 9,700 people, most of them women and children, and unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe in the exclave.

17:40 GMT 05.11.2023

Israeli Troops Reach Northern Gaza Strip's Coast - IDF

Israeli troops have advanced deep into the north of the Gaza Strip and positioned themselves along the coast, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday.

"Soldiers from the 36th Division have struck deep in the Gaza Strip and positioned themselves along the coast," the IDF said on Telegram.

The advance was part of Israel's expanded ground operations in the northern Gaza Strip, the IDF said.

"The role of the division is to encircle Hamas forces in Gaza City, and to strike and destroy select targets, including significant assets and command and control centers belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization," it added.

17:32 GMT 05.11.2023

A view of Damascus from Qasioun Mountain - Sputnik International, 1920, 05.11.2023

World

Syria Calls on International Community, IAEA to Uncover Israeli Nuclear Program

5 November 2023, 17:31 GMT

17:27 GMT 05.11.2023

Internet, Mobile Connection in Gaza Down Again - Palestinian Telecom Operator

Communications and internet services in the Gaza Strip have been disabled again by Israel, Palestinian telecoms company Paltel said on Sunday.

"We regret to announce the complete shutdown of all communication and internet services in the Gaza Strip due to the fact that the main routes that were previously restored have been cut off again by Israel," the company said.

15:56 GMT 05.11.2023

Iranian Supreme Leader Discusses Situation in Gaza With Hamas Chief

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei held a meeting and talks with Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Sunday, during which the two sides discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip, Iranian Fars news agency has reported.

During the meeting, Haniyeh briefed Khamenei on the latest developments in Gaza, the Iranian news agency reported. Khamenei commended the resilience of Gazans and stressed the need for serious action on the part of Muslim countries and international organizations, the report read.

15:46 GMT 05.11.2023

US in Talks on Pause in Gaza Fighting to Free Hostages – White House

The United States is involved in secret talks to deliver a pause in Gaza fighting that would ensure the release of remaining American hostages from Hamas captivity, White House Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said Sunday.

"Those negotiations are going on quietly behind the scenes, they have taken longer than any of us would like. But we continue to believe that there is the possibility of getting a significant number of these hostages released, and you've heard both President [Joe] Biden and the prime minister of Israel say that there could be a pause in the fighting to enable that," he told CNN's Face the Nation show.

Washington has so far been able to negotiate the release of more than 300 Americans, but a number of others are believed to still be trapped inside the besieged Gaza Strip, according to Finer.

15:45 GMT 05.11.2023

US Concerned by Situation in Gaza, Urges Israel to Respect Humanitarian Law - White House

The United States is concerned about the number of civilian casualties caused by Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and calls on its Middle Eastern partner to abide by international humanitarian law, Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said on Sunday.

“What I will say is- is some of the images and some of the events that we've seen transpire in Gaza have been heartbreaking for all of us. There are innocent people being killed in this conflict in Gaza,” Finer said in an interview with CBS News.

It is hard to predict a timetable for an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas but the United States believes that things will not be the same as they were before the Palestinian movement attacked Israel in early October, Finer said.

“So I don't want to speculate about how close we are or are not to the end of the war. But what I will say, and President [Joe] Biden has been very clear, about this is that whenever this conflict is over, we cannot go back to the way things were before October 7, either in Gaza, or in the West Bank,” Finer said.

Finer also argued against reducing support given to the Palestinian Authority under the current circumstances, pointing out that they "are working, in many cases alongside Israeli security forces."