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

The head of Gaza’s government media office says that Israel is “bombing a number of cars that have left Gaza towards the south of the Strip.”

Israel has given residents of north Gaza 24 hours to leave their homes, with no guarantee of return.
 

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.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir distributed assault rifles to ‘civilian security teams’ and also said that he has directed the Ministry of National Security to purchase more than 10,000 firearms.

Today alone, nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank.
 

The White House has said they “understand” that the Israelis are trying to give “fair warning” to 1.1 million Palestinians being told to leave north Gaza, but that it would be a challenge to clear the territory of civilians completely.

In an interview with CNN, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: “Now it’s a tall order. It’s a million people, and it's a very urban, dense environment.

“It’s already a combat zone. So I don’t think anybody’s underestimating the challenge here of effecting that evacuation.”
 

Speaking from a live conference in Istanbul, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that “our stance stays the same regardless of what happens,” and that “there is no hope for peace unless Palestinians get their rights.”

He also condemned the US’ support of Israel. 

“Blinken says that he went to Israel not as the US Secretary of State but as a Jew, how would people feel if I said I went to Palestine as a Muslim first, " he questioned.

Erdogan says that Turkey will continue sending aid to Gaza in cooperation with Egypt.

He added that Turkey sent a military plane that is carrying emergency aid for Gaza to Egypt’s El Arish Airport.

"We sent a humanitarian aid plane to El Arish Airport this morning, including medicine, durable food, canned food, diapers and medical supplies,” he said. “The plane landed in Egypt in noon today.”

The aid is expected to be sent through Rafah crossing.

Palestine’s Ministry of Health says that the death toll has now reached 1,799 as of 4pm local time, including 583 children and 351 women. 

The Ministry states that 7,388 other citizens have been wounded, including 1,901 children. 
 

A leading Palestinian human rights lawyer in Israel has warned western leaders that they are enabling genocide and a new Nakba by condoning “dehumanising” language used by Israeli leaders.

Speaking to Middle East Eye, Diana Buttu said that Palestinians in Israel, as well as the occupied territories, are facing a threat of violence with echoes of the events of 1948.

Buttu said her father’s family had been among hundreds of thousands of people who then fled from their homes never to return - and now feared that her own family could face the same fate.

Read the rest of the story here.

Turkey has called Israel’s demand to forcibly evict more than a million Palestinians from northern Gaza to the south within 24 hours “in no way acceptable”.

Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The forcing of the 2.5 million people of Gaza, who have been subjected to indiscriminate bombing for days and who have been deprived of electricity, water and food, to migrate in an extremely limited area is a clear violation of international law and has no place in humanity.

“We expect Israel to immediately reverse this grave mistake and immediately end its brutal and wholesale actions against the civilian population in Gaza.”

Heavy gunfights are being reported in Israeli settlements near Jenin and in Nablus as West Bank tensions spike following Friday afternoon prayers.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed their fighters are currently fighting Israeli troops near Israeli settlements surrounding Jenin.

Elsewhere, protests spreading across Palestinian cities are being met by live fire by Israeli forces.

At least nine Palestinians have been killed in less than two hours, with the number of casualties increasing rapidly. Over 130 have been wounded.

At the same time, armed Israeli settlers are attacking different cities and shooting Palestinians at point-blank range in the presence of Israeli soldiers.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health says that a another Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces today, taking the total death toll in the occupied West Bank to nine. 
 

Palestine’s Ministry of Health said that seven Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank today.

So far, 66 Palestinians have been wounded across the West Bank.
 

Protests against Israel’s assault on Gaza are taking place across the Arab and Muslim world following the conclusion of Friday prayers.

The video below shows a huge demonstration within the Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, with worshippers chanting a famous slogan vowing to protect the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

“We sacrifice our blood and our souls for your sake Al Aqsa,” the crowds shouts.

“We sacrifice our blood and our souls for your sake, al-Aqsa Mosque!”

Solidarity protests erupted in Egypt's Al-Azhar mosque on Friday, as worshippers took part in an unplanned demonstration after Friday prayers, chanting against the Israeli strikes on Gaza pic.twitter.com/kyUZWOGkmB

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) October 13, 2023

Jordanians marching towards the border with Israel have accused the police of "treason" for firing tear gas and dispersing crowds. 

In videos shared on social media platforms, Jordanians can be heard shouting that the targeting of them is "shameful" as well as chanting "no to betrayal orders".

“There are Palestinians living under occupation, it is your duty to help them, shameful!" one man shouted at police officers close to the border, accusing them of "treason".

Large groups of Jordanians have participated in protests and marches towards the border this morning, and were met with tear gas. 

Thousands more have gathered to demand authorities open up the border with Israel and stop Israeli aggression.

Hamas says that it is attacking the army northern division headquarters in northern Israel with 250km-range rockets. 

Sirens have sounded across northern Israel, but it is not yet clear if the rockets have made an impact.

Thousands gather in Yemen's capital Sanaa in solidarity with the people in Gaza after days of Israeli bombardment.

Watch the live stream below. 

Thousands of people in the Qatari capital of Doha are taking part in demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people.

Videos and photos showed huge crowds, made up of locals and expatriate workers, gathered in the city’s central West Bay area, carrying Palestinian flags and chanting in support of Gaza’s residents.

Crowds began gathering after the conclusion of Friday prayers in the city.
Such large demonstrations are a rarity in Qatar.