Israel-Palestine live: Thousands in state of panic as Israel continues to strike hospitals
Mises à jour du direct
The families of the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip expressed their "concern" on Saturday over the intensified bombing and reported ground invasion of the territory, and demanded an explanation from the government.
"Anxiety, frustration, and especially enormous anger that no one from the war cabinet bothered to meet with the families of the abductees to explain to them one thing – whether the ground operation endangers the safety of the 229 abductees in Gaza," said the statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
"Families are worried about the fate of their loved ones and are waiting for explanations. Every minute seems like an eternity. We demand that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and members of the war cabinet meet with us this morning."
At least 220 people are thought to remain held hostage in Gaza following Hamas' operation in southern Israel on 7 October.
The Israeli army has released video footage apparently showing tanks operating within Gaza:
Good morning MEE readers,
Communication in the Gaza Strip continues to be cut off following what appears to be have been one of the most intense nights of bombing in the besieged enclave, according to what little information has been trickling out.
The death toll of Palestinians stood at 7,300 on Friday, but the loss of communication means the true figure could be much higher.
Here’s what you need to know from the past few hours:
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Unicef and Doctors Without Borders say they are no longer in contact with their colleagues in Gaza following communications blackout.
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Israel claims to have “hit 150 underground targets” in Gaza overnight.
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Thousands of Palestinians across the West Bank take part in dawn prayers for the people of Gaza.
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Footage from Gaza depicts desperate pleas and screaming amid bombardment in Al Shati camp.
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US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield says in statement the lives of "innocent Palestinians must be protected."
For updates around the clock, follow MEE's live blog and our social media platforms on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
Hundreds of mostly Jewish protesters have been arrested following a demonstration at New York's Grand Central Station in support of a ceasefire in Gaza.
The New York Police Department said at least 200 people had been arrested at the sit-in, which was called by Jewish Voice for Peace.
The event was initiated by rabbis lighting Shabbat candles and reciting the Jewish kaddish prayer for the dead.
"While Shabbat is typically a day of rest, we cannot afford to rest while genocide is unfolding in our names," said Rabbi May Ye, in a statement.
"The lives of Palestinians and Israelis are intertwined, and safety can only come from justice, equality, and freedom for all."
The Israeli military said on Saturday that its fighter jets had hit 150 "underground" targets in northern Gaza during a heavy overnight bombardment.
According to the IDF statement, the sites hit included "terror tunnels, underground combat spaces and additional underground infrastructure. Furthermore, several Hamas terrorists were killed.
"We are using fire that has never been seen before in the Gaza Strip. From the air, from the ground or from the underground - the IDF will eliminate every senior or junior terrorist and every terrorist infrastructure of Hamas," the Israeli military wrote on X.
Palestinian organisations and journalists have not confirmed the number of casualties or strikes as there is a communication blackout.
Journalist Hind Khoudary, who has freelanced for Middle East Eye, took to Instagram stories early on Saturday to post updates on the bombardment on Gaza saying "This is terrifying. There is no connection or internet in Gaza. Pray for us!!
"Endless explosions. The situation is very terrifying. The internet is barely working. Tell the world we suddenly got disconnected from the world. No internet. No calls. No SMS. We can't talk to each other. Explosions did not stop."
She added that she was trying to post videos but that was not working.
"The sound of explosions is terrifying. The sky is orange. We don't know anything. We are not safe. Pray for us.
"This is a deadly night. I saw Israeli warplanes striking phosphorus bombs with my own eyes."
Early on Saturday, thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank gathered on the streets to pray in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which is facing an Israeli military campaign, Anadolu Agency reported.
Many observed the Fajr, or dawn prayer, in central squares of cities like Nablus, Tulkarm, Jenin, and Tubas.
Following the prayers, hundreds staged demonstrations in support of Gaza in Tulkarm and Tubas, Anadolu reported.
Thousands of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank gathered in central squares of cities like Nablus, Tulkarm, Jenin and Tubas, to observe the Fajr, or dawn prayer, in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which is facing intense Israeli bombardment and a total blackout pic.twitter.com/jZ4v7dUnhu
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) October 28, 2023
Palestinian women in the Al Shati refugee camp can be heard screaming for help during the intense Israeli bombardment in Gaza early on Saturday, video shows.
The video, shared by many on social media and posted by Wissam Gaza on Instagram, shows the Al Shati refugee camp bombarded amid a total blackout.
People are heard screaming and asking for help in one of the few videos that have come out from Gaza on Saturday.
Warning: This video contains distressing content.
People in Gaza have resorted to using the megaphones of a mosque to communicate amid a total blackout of electricity and network connections.
"Communications have been cut. There is no one left but you God. Oh God, they are using their strength against us," the video shows.
"But we believe in your power over them. Oh people of Islam. Oh people of Islam, we seek refuge in your prayers, pray to God for their victory. Communal prayer."
People in Gaza have resorted to using the megaphones of a mosque to communicate amid a total blackout of electricity and network connections pic.twitter.com/djbVTPTLyx
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) October 28, 2023
A week after vetoing the Security Council's resolution on the Israel and Palestine war, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield posted a statement on Saturday saying the lives of "innocent Palestinians must be protected."
"We must not become numb to the pain and the suffering of people like Wael al-Dahdouh – a Palestinian journalist whose wife, son, daughter, and grandson were killed in Gaza this week," she wrote on X.
The lives of UN personnel and humanitarian workers and journalists must be protected.
We mourn the loss of every single innocent life in this crisis. Every single one."
This comes a week after the US vetoed a resolution condemning all violence against civilians in Israel and Palestine, where she said that the US “is disappointed this resolution made no mention of Israel’s right of self-defence.”
We must not become numb to the pain and the suffering of people like Wael al-Dahdouh – a Palestinian journalist whose wife, son, daughter, and grandson were killed in Gaza this week.
— Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (@USAmbUN) October 28, 2023
The lives of innocent Palestinians must be protected.
The lives of UN personnel and…
Mike Johnson, the newly elected Speaker of the House, spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday.
"It was a privilege to speak this evening with my friend Netanyahu," Johnson wrote on X.
"The House of Representatives stands with Israel and I reaffirmed our strong support."
After three weeks without a speaker, the House voted on Wednesday to elect Congressman Johnson of Louisiana. As his first action, he called up a resolution supporting Israel,
"The first bill I'm going to bring to this floor in a little while will be in support of our dear friend Israel and we are overdue in getting that done," Johnson said.
The House approved the resolution with a vote of 412 to 10. The resolution, though non-binding, reinforces the US's allegiance to Israel and demands that Hamas halt its attacks and release all hostages.
The widespread communication shutdown in Gaza could potentially shield "mass atrocities" Human Rights Watch warned on Saturday, amidst ongoing heavy bombardment of the region by Israel.
"This information blackout risks providing cover for mass atrocities and contributing to impunity for human rights violations," the group's senior technology and human rights researcher, Deborah Brown said in a statement.
The US announced it targeted the ammunition supplies of militias linked to Iran with strikes in Syria, but said it did not want to escalate the conflict in the Middle East.
On Thursday, the Pentagon reported launching air strikes on two locations in eastern Syria, saying they were facilities used by Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“The purpose for those two sites that we targeted was to have a significant impact on future IRGC and Iran-backed militia group operations,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.
“The main goal was to disrupt that ability and also to deter- to prevent- future attacks,” he said.
Hundreds of people assembled in downtown Montreal, Canada for an emergency protest for Palestinians as the Israel bombardment in Gaza intensified overnight amid a communications blackout and reports of a ground invasion.
“Gaza! Gaza! We are here! Gaza! Gaza! We are here!" they shouted.
On Friday, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution urging an immediate ceasefire and insisting on humanitarian aid access to Gaza.
Canada, which abstained, had proposed an amendment to explicitly denounce Hamas for its attack on Israel on 7 October and call for the immediate release of hostages taken by the group.
In a recording of a phone call from a journalist stationed at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza on Friday, he says they're "cut off from everything".
According to Mohammed el-Kurd, who translated the phone call on X, the journalist is able to make a call because of data roaming on a Turkish SIM card.
In the phone call, which is in Arabic, the journalist says: "We have no idea what's happening. There's no connection, no Wi-Fi, no reporters. We're cut off from everything. People can't call ambulances or civil defence.
"We are being bombed in an unprecedented manner. The sky around us just lights up [with explosions], and no one knows what's going on. You can't reach anyone, even if they're only 500 meters away.
"Ambulances and medics are begging reporters to let them know which streets are getting bombarded to go rescue the victims, but the reporters themselves don't know where anything is happening [because of the connection loss].
"We are trying to report the news but we have no idea what's happening."
الرسالة الصوتية الوحيدة التي وصلت من #غزة من خلال اتصال من أحد الأصدقاء.
— Yasser (@Yasser_Gaza) October 27, 2023
- لا يوجد اتصال
- الاسعافات لا تتحرك
- الوضع صعب جدا pic.twitter.com/OnHXx08D0p
