Israel-Palestine war: First week ends with over 2,500 Palestinians, 1,400 Israelis killed

Israel's military said it carried out "localised raids" in Gaza over the last 24 hours, ahead of an expected ground offensive into the densely populated Palestinian territory.

In a statement, the army said it had carried out raids to search for "terrorists" and "weaponry," while efforts were also made "to find missing people."

The soldiers also "dismantled terrorist cells and infrastructure," including "a Hamas cell which fired anti-tank missiles towards Israeli territory," according to the statement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “there will be no more business as usual with Hamas” when asked in Doha on Friday if they had asked Qatar to close the group’s office in the country.

Qatari Prime Minister Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani emphasised that the office was used to communicate with the group and bring "peace" and said it would continue to be used in that manner.

Blinken reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself, but said they have urged Israelis to take every precaution to avoid harm to civilians.

Blinken said the focus is to "create safe zones" in Gaza for civilians.

One journalist has been killed and others wounded after an Israeli army shell hit southern Lebanon.

An AFP correspondent said a group of journalists from several outlets were near Alma al-Shaab in south Lebanon close to the Israeli border when they were hit by Israeli fire.

A number of journalists, including from AFP and Reuters are thought to have been injured, while Al-Jazeera said two of its journalists had been wounded.

One correspondent is believed to have been killed, according to Al-Jazeera.

Good evening, Middle East Eye readers.

Today marks the seventh day of the ongoing war.

At midnight, the Israeli army ordered around 1.1 million Palestinians in north Gaza to leave their homes within a 24-hour deadline, with no guarantee of their return. 

Palestinians have decried it as a "second Nakba", while many have said they will not leave their land. 

A former UN crimes investigator, Marc Grlasco, said that: “Israel is dropping in less than a week what the US was dropping in Afghanistan in a year, in a much smaller, much more densely populated area, where mistakes are going to be magnified.”

Human Rights Watch confirmed that Israel is using white phosphorus “unlawfully” in Gaza.

Today also marked the first Friday prayers since the start of the war, with Palestinians calling for a global "day of rage". Israeli forces have responded to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank with force.

Here’s a look at some of the main updates from today.

- Palestinians leaving north Gaza, after Israel gave them 24 hours to leave with no guarantees of return, have been bombed and shot at on their way out, Gaza’s government media office said.  

- Abu Ubaida, the Izzideen al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson, has urged Palestinians in north Gaza to “be patient and steadfast” and said that the “only direction we are migrating is back to our homelands”.

- Palestinians in Jerusalem heading to Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa were stopped from doing so, particularly those under the age of 50. Many were also harassed and abused, as heavily armed Israeli police blocked roads and entryways into the Old City. 

- Tensions have flared up in the occupied West Bank, with at least 11 Palestinians being killed by Israeli forces and settlers.

- Jordanians marched towards the border with Israel to voice their solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza but were targeted with teargas by police. The protesters labelled the police as "betrayers". 

- Global shows of solidarity have erupted around the world, as Palestinians called for a global "day of rage". The protests took place in Lebanon, Iran,  Qatar, Yemen, Jordan and Egypt.

- Israeli forces have approved and started the distribution of firearms and weapons for around 26,000 Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and in Israel.

- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) says that it is now unable to assist people in their shelters, as they have reached capacity. Six hospitals in Gaza have also completely stopped working. 

Hamas said that Israeli shelling had killed 13 captives.

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The Financial Times has removed a quote from one of its articles in which Israeli President Isaac Herzog collectively blamed the Palestinians of Gaza for last weekend's attack by Hamas.

As originally published, the news outlet quoted Herzog critising warnings about civilian casualties in Israel's ongoing bombardment of Gaza.

"It's not true this rhetoric about civilians [being] not aware, not involved. It's absolutely not true...they could have risen up, they could have fought against that evil regime which took over Gaza in a coup d'etat," he was quoted as saying.

The comments - which the FT's own Chief features writer Henry Mance called "a very bad sign" have since disappeared from the article without explanation.

The Palestinian United Nations envoy appealed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday to do more to prevent Israel's “crime against humanity."

Riyad Mansour called on Guterres ahead of a meeting of Arab Group ambassadors at the United Nations to do all he could to prevent the mass displacement of people in Gaza.

“He has to do more. Whatever was done was not sufficient. We need all of us to do more to stop this crime against humanity,” he told reporters.

Footage has emerged of Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir distributing assault rifles to ‘civilian security teams’ on Thursday night:

Mohamad Elmasry, an associate professor of media studies based in Doha, argues that media framing of the ongoing war is stereotypical and all too familiar.

In his most recent editorial, he calls out the coverage in the mainstream media, including The New York Times, CNN, The Guardian, BBC, USA Today and many others, who he says “have privileged Israeli perspectives; highlighted Israeli casualties and humanity at the expense of Palestinian casualties and humanity; disregarded Palestinian voices and grievances; and overlooked the broader context of the conflict.”

“A person who exclusively follows mainstream western news might be tempted to conclude that Palestinians are predisposed to violence, that they wake up and decide to kill,” he adds. 

According to Elmasry, mainstream western reports have made infrequent mention of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, with almost no mention of the fact that the occupation is illegal under international law. 

“Even essential context from the past few months has been largely disregarded by most western reporting about ongoing events, despite its direct link to the recent outbreak of violence,” he continues. 

You can read the full opinion article below. 

Read here: For the West's press, context is sacrosanct - except when it comes to Palestinians

A spokesperson for Palestine’s interior ministry in Gaza gave a speech during a press conference today, saying that children in Gaza are “victims of Israeli terrorism.” 

Palestine’s Ministry of Health says that 11 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank today. 

At least 60 more have been wounded by Israeli forces and in settler attacks.
 

Rockets have been fired from Gaza into Rehovot, south of Tel Aviv. 

Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attack, which has impacted some roads. 

No casualties have been reported yet.
 

Palestine’s Ministry of Health says that a Palestinian has died after being shot by Israeli forces today.

The civilian died in the Palestine Medical Complex in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, after being shot several times in the head and chest. 

Israeli forces have unleashed a deadly crackdown on Palestinians in the West Bank today, with nine others killed earlier today. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Qatar’s Doha, after visiting Israel and Jordan. 

He is meeting with Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani and will be discussing the ongoing war. 
 

Speaking from Ramallah, Mohammad Shtayyeh, the Palestinian prime minister, called out the double standards of western media coverage of the war and urged the international community to stop the killings of Palestinians. 

“There is incitement in western media, encouraging Israel to carry out crimes. I appeal to the media to stay away from exaggeration and false information which is paving the way for massacres in Gaza,” he said.

“Gaza today is demolished and is undergoing collective punishment. We call on the world to get involved immediately to stop the killing of Palestinians,” he added. 
 

The Israeli army says there was an explosion at the border fence with Lebanon and they are responding with artillery.