Israel-Palestine live: Thousands in state of panic as Israel continues to strike hospitals

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel would assume “overall security responsibility” of the Gaza Strip for an indefinite period after its war with Hamas.

The comments are the most public pushback against US President Joe Biden’s warning last month against Israel reoccupying the Gaza Strip.

They also come after the US floated plans that saw a potential role for neighbouring Arab states and the international community to assume a security role in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s comments are another sign Israel is gearing up for a protracted stay in the Gaza Strip.

“I think Israel for an indefinite period will have the overall security responsibility, because we’ve seen what happens when we don’t have it,” Netanyahu told ABC News.

“When we don’t have that security responsibility, what we have is the eruption of Hamas terror on a scale that we couldn’t imagine.”

The US evaded answering a question Monday whether humanitarian aid could be air-dropped into the Gaza Strip after Jordan successfully resupplied its army-managed hospital in the besieged enclave by air.

Washington has focused its efforts on bringing desperately needed aid into Gaza via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. The US is also considering a plan to establish an aid corridor via the nearby island of Cyprus.

On Monday, a reporter asked State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel why the Administration didn’t replicate Jordan’s successful resupply of its hospital to surge aid into Gaza.

Patel refused to speak “to the specifics of the security parameters” of such an operation, adding that he didn’t have “the expertise to speak to that.”

Jordan’s rare move appeared to be the first time aid was delivered directly into Gaza by air, bypassing the Rafah border crossing altogether.

Good evening, Middle East Eye readers, 

Day 30 of Israel’s war in Palestine marked a grim milestone, with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres labelling Gaza a “graveyard for children.” 

During his first press conference since October 7, Guterres painted a dark picture of the situation in Gaza and called for both sides to end the fighting. 

The UN Chief used his remarks to acknowledge the lack of aid enter Gaza and said the Rafah crossing in Egypt would not be suitable for the aid needed to help Gaza, given the scale of destruction in the besieged territory. 

Guterres also his speech to pay tribute to the 88 UN workers killed in Gaza, the largest loss of UN aid workers in any given conflict, and urged Hamas to return its hostages to Israel. 

The UN chief's statement came hours after the Palestinian Health Ministry announced that Israel had killed more than 10,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including 4,104 Palestinian children. 

The Palestinian Red Crescent also urged the international community to help Gaza after reporting that the Al Quds hospital will run out of fuel in the next 48 hours. 

Here are other updates that took place during this evening: 

- Biden and Netanyahu discussed a potential “tactical pause” in Gaza

- Jordan said it was open to “all options” days after it recalled its ambassador to Israel in protest at the growing death toll in Gaza. 

- The Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) told MEE that the violence since 7 October has been the deadliest four-week period for journalists covering conflict since they began documenting journalist fatalities in 1992.

- Sources told Reuters and the Wall Street Journal that the Biden administration will tell the US Congress that it plans to send precision bombs worth $230 million to Israel.

- The Israel army said it was targeting Hezbollah military sites after the Israelis claimed the Lebanese group had fired dozens of rockets into Israel

- The United Arab Emirates said it will be establishing a field hospital in Gaza as the besieged enclave's health system is on the verge of collapse. 

For updates around the clock, follow MEE’s live blog and our social media platforms on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

Jordan said it was open to "all options" in its response to the growing death toll of Palestinians in Gaza after recalling its ambassador to Israel. 

Prime Minister Bisher al Khasawneh did not elaborate on what steps Jordan would take but condemned Israel's bombardment of Gaza. 

"All options are on the table for Jordan in our dealing with the Israeli aggression on Gaza and its repercussions," Khasawneh, whose country signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, told state media.

"The brutal Israeli attack does not discriminate between civilian and military targets and is extending to safe areas and ambulances." 

Diplomats familiar with Jordan's approach to Israel told Reuters that Amman is reviewing its economic, security and political ties with Israel and may freeze or revoke parts of its peace treaty if the situation in Gaza worsens.

In a statement, Israel's foreign ministry said the country's "relations with Jordan are of strategic importance to both countries and we regret the inflammatory statements from Jordan's leadership".

The Palestine Red Crescent said the Al Quds Hospital's power generator will run out of fuel reserves in the next 48 hours. 

The PRCS issued an urgent appeal for international health organisations to provide essential aid and supplies as the death toll surpasses 10,000 in Gaza. 

"The hospital's fuel reserves will run out within 48 hours, and life-saving equipment, neonatal incubators, and intensive care units will cease to function," the PRCS said in a statement. 

"Additionally, there is a severe shortage of medical supplies, medicines, and a significant lack of food and drinking water for medical staff, patients and wounded." 

🚨📢 The @PalestineRCS urgently appeals to international health and humanitarian organizations to swiftly provide vital assistance and essential supplies to the #Gaza governorate and the northern region.

🔴The fuel reserves for Al_Quds Hospital's power generator are anticipated… pic.twitter.com/LVrI7EYY40

— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) November 6, 2023

More than 250 alumni from every university in the Ivy League have signed a letter in solidarity with current students taking part in pro-Palestine activism on campus.

The letter also condemns the silence from the academic institutions amid campaigns to stifle the speech of these students.

Students across the US, including at a number of Ivy League schools, have been threatened with rescinded job offers, doxxing campaigns, and even physical violence for their support or activism related to Palestine.

“A free Palestine is within our reach. As alumni and fellow community members, we stand together to uplift student activism,” said the letter, which has a total of 263 signatories at the time of writing.

Three of the letter’s signatories told MEE's Umar Farooq that the effort was done in order to “stand by the courageous young people abandoned by their administrations who are putting themselves at risk to stand up for justice and speak out against genocide”.

READ MORE: Hundreds of Ivy League alumni pen letter in solidarity with pro-Palestine students

The United Arab Emirates said it will be establishing a field hospital in Gaza as the besieged enclave's health system is on the verge of collapse. 

Abu Dhabi's state news agency did not confirm if the field hospital was approved by the Israelis but noted that the UAE will send five aircraft carrying equipment necessary for the establishment of a field hospital. 

The Biden administration has told the US Congress that it plans to send precision bombs worth $230m to Israel, according to reports. 

A source familiar with the plan confirmed to Reuters on Monday that Washington intended to send Spice Family Gliding Bomb Assemblies, a type of precision-guided weapon fired by warplanes. 

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal also reported that Biden's administration sent formal notification on 31 October to congressional leaders of the planned transfer. 

The Journal said weapons manufacturer Rafael USA would transfer the bombs to its Israeli partner company. 

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has warned that the violence since 7 October has been the deadliest four-week period for journalists covering conflict since they began documenting such fatalities in 1992.

As of Monday, the organisation said 36 journalists and media workers had been confirmed dead, the vast majority Palestinian, as well as four Israelis and one Lebanese.

Sherif Mansour, the CPJ's Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator, told Middle East Eye that many of those killed were local freelancers without the protection provided by large media outlets or foreign passports.

He said that the Israeli army needed to make their rules of engagement more transparent, as many of the journalists in Gaza "may not have the option to avoid combat situations".

"Of course the toll is heartbreaking and unfortunately it is paid by, and continues to be paid by, Palestinian journalists who face an outsized risk," he explained.

"This is a sacrifice that should not be made easily."

Washington said that US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the possibility of creating a "tactical pause" in strikes on the Gaza Strip. 

White House spokesman John Kirby said both leaders also discussed the deteriorating situation in the West Bank. 

Kirby added that the US still does not believe a general ceasefire is appropriate at this time and that Israel had reassured them that American-made assault rifles would only go to national police units. 

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said the Israeli army killed a Palestinian boy by shooting him in the head in Beit Fajjar near the south of Bethlehem. 

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health identified the 18-year-old boy killed as Youssef Jalal Mahmoud Taqatqa. 

Israel said it was attacking Hezbollah after claiming the group fired 30 rockets into northern Israel from Lebanon. 

"Approximately 30 launches were identified from Lebanon toward northern Israel over the last hour," the Israeli army said. 

"The IDF is responding with artillery fire toward the origin of the launches."

The Israeli army's statement comes after an earlier Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed three children and their grandmother. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday demanded an urgent humanitarian ceasefire as he described Gaza as becoming a "graveyard for children".

Speaking to reporters at the UN headquarters for the first time since Hamas launched a surprise assault into Israel, Guterres said "hundreds of young boys and girls have been injured from the fighting".

"Ground operations by the Israel Defense Forces and continued bombardment are hitting civilians, hospitals, refugee camps, mosques, churches and UN facilities - including shelters. No one is safe," Guterres told reporters.

"At the same time, Hamas and other militants use civilians as human shields and continue to launch rockets indiscriminately towards Israel.

"The unfolding catastrophe makes the need for a humanitarian ceasefire more urgent with every passing hour."

The UN chief also used his speech to demand Hamas return dozens of Israeli hostages and paid tribute to 88 UN employees killed by Israel in Gaza. 

Social media accounts linked to the US military posted pictures of the USS Eisenhower, the world's largest aircraft carrier, passing through the Suez Canal as it headed to the Middle East. 

Last month, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the USS Eisenhower to join the USS Gerald R Ford Carrier strike group, already stationed in international waters near Israel.

Senior US officials said that the USS Ford's deployment to the eastern Mediterranean is intended to show the US commitment to Israel and serve as a warning to Iran and Hezbollah not to get involved in the Israel-Palestine war. 

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKECSG) arrived in the Middle East and the CENTCOM area of responsibility as part of the increase in regional posture.

The strike group is commanded by Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 2 and comprised of flagship aircraft carrier USS… pic.twitter.com/CYLX5mTTki

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) November 4, 2023

When US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ankara to get help from Turkish officials on the Israel-Palestine war, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan broke with tradition and decided to stay in Turkey's Black Sea region, where he was pictured sharing cups of tea with locals. 

Erdogan could have organised for him and Blinken to have met in Ankara. Instead, he chose not to, which has widely been perceived as a clear snub.

For decades, Erdogan has engaged with every visiting US secretary of state, barring exceptional circumstances. In fact, Erdogan hosted Blinken in Ankara in February.

But as Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza, Turkey and the United States continue to have incredibly divergent views on the ongoing Israel-Palestine war, as the body count in the Gaza Strip continues to rise rapidly. 

When Blinken came to Ankara, he met with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, meeting beyond the two-and-a-half-hour mark, which also lacked the customary post-meeting news conference. 

Sources told Middle East Eye's Turkey bureau chief Ragip Soylu that Blinken's meeting with Fidan was "constructive and positive". Turkish sources told Soylu that Fidan emphasised to Blinken the need to shield civilians in Gaza from harm and ensure they are not displaced. 

A Turkish official seeking to downplay the incident emphasised that Blinken's designated counterpart is Fidan. 

READ MORE: Erdogan sips tea on the Black Sea as Blinken visits Ankara