By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/live-updates-whats-happening-in-the-israel-hamas-war-as-some-hostages-are-released Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Live updates: What’s happening in the Israel-Hamas war as some hostages are released World Updated on Oct 24, 2023 9:03 PM EDT — Published on Oct 24, 2023 9:57 AM EDT Israel is escalating its bombardment of targets in the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected ground invasion against Hamas militants. The war is rapidly raising the death toll in Gaza, and the U.S. fears the fighting could spark a wider conflict in the region. WATCH: Israeli bombardment of Gaza persists amid calls to address worsening humanitarian disaster Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the Hamas attack on Israeli towns on Oct. 7. The aid convoys allowed into Gaza so far have carried a fraction of what’s needed, and the U.N. said distribution will have to stop if there’s no fuel for the trucks. The war, in its 18th day Tuesday, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed and 16,297 wounded. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage. In addition, 222 people including foreigners were believed captured by Hamas during the incursion and taken into Gaza, Israel’s military has said. Four of those have been released. Currently: The U.S. Department of Defense is assisting Israel in its war planning by sending military advisers 40 years after bombing that killed Americans in Beirut, US troops again deploy east of Mediterranean The war is giving Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system its toughest challenge yet Release of more hostages gives some hope to families of others abducted in the attack on Israel Here’s what’s happening in the latest Israel-Hamas war: 7:47 p.m. EDT Rating agency S&P changes Israel credit outlook from ‘stable’ to ‘negative’ NEW YORK — Credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s says it is changing its outlook on Israel’s credit rating to “negative” from “stable” as the country fights a war against Hamas in Gaza in response to the militant group’s devastating attack. S&P said Tuesday it was revising the outlooks on its long-term foreign and local-currency ratings on Israel, citing the war, its potential to escalate into a broader regional conflict and the impact that could have on the country’s economy. S&P left Israel’s credit rating unchanged at AA-. The agency’s highest rating is AAA. By revising the outlook, S&P is raising a warning flag signaling that a rating downgrade could happen in the future. Credit ratings firms Fitch and Moody’s have taken similar actions. Official says Canada doesn’t believe Hamas would respect a cease-fire OTTAWA, Ontario — Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said Tuesday that Canada’s government does not believe Hamas would respect a cease-fire in its conflict with Israel. “I have no expectation that a terrorist organization would respect international law or any call for a cease-fire,” Blair said before heading into a Cabinet meeting. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said afterward that Canada supports the idea of “humanitarian pauses,” temporary halts to fighting, allowing for aid to get into Gaza safely and people to leave. Hamas is sworn to Israel’s destruction, and Blair said it is a threat as long as it exists. “I think (Israel has) a right to defend themselves against that terror threat,″ Blair said. “And quite frankly, Hamas has to be eliminated as a threat, not just to Israel but to the world.″ Canada has listed Hamas as a terrorist group since 2002 and has no dealings with any of its leaders. Israeli FM renews vow to crush Hamas. Palestinian FM says it is ‘collective human duty’ to stop the bloodshed UNITED NATIONS — Israel is vowing again to destroy Hamas, rejecting calls for a cease-fire from the U.N. chief, the Palestinians and many countries at a high-level U.N. meeting and saying the war in Gaza is not merely its own but “the war of the free world.” Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also dismissed calls for “proportionality” in the country’s response to Hamas’ surprise attacks Oct. 7 that killed 1,400 people. More than 5,700 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, according to its Health Ministry. Cohen told the U.N. Security Council the proportionate response to the Oct. 7 massacre is “a total destruction to the last one of the Hamas,” calling the extremist group “the new Nazis.” “It is not only Israel’s right to destroy Hamas. It’s our duty,” he said. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said he came to the meeting “to stop … the ongoing massacres being deliberately and systematically and savagely perpetrated by Israel.” “Over 2 million Palestinians are on a survival mission every day, every night,” he added. Under international law, al-Maliki said, “it is our collective human duty to stop” the Israeli attacks and bloodshed. 6:34 p.m. EDT France’s Macron visits Israel to show support JERUSALEM — French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel on Tuesday in the latest trip by a Western leader to express support for the country amid its war against Hamas, offering an assurance that Israel is “not left alone in the war against terrorism.” Macron met with the families of French citizens who were killed or taken hostage in the devastating Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, saying, “we will neglect nothing” to obtain freedom for French citizens. Nine French nationals are missing or believed held captive, and 30 were killed. READ MORE: French police accused of systemic discrimination in landmark legal case At a news conference in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Macron stressed Israel’s right to defend itself. “The fight must be without mercy, but not without rules,” Macron said, because democracies “respect the rules of war,” an apparent reference to criticism of Israeli airstrikes that have killed Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. He later traveled to the Israeli-occupied West Bank for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who runs the semi-autonomous Palestinian Authority. Macron said Hamas’ attack was “also a catastrophe” for Palestinians and “there will be no lasting peace” without a two-state solution. Calls for peace at interfaith gathering in France MARSEILLE, France — Jewish, Muslim and Christian faith leaders held hands and called for peace in the Middle East at a gathering Tuesday in the Mediterranean city of Marseille. Around 100 people came together outside the landmark Notre Dame de la Garde church in an event organized by fans of the Olympique de Marseille soccer team. Faith leaders spoke in turn in favor of peace and led the crowd in a moment of silence honoring victims of the Israel-Hamas war. Political flags were barred from the gathering, meant as a moment of community togetherness at a tense time. The faith leaders spoke of each other as neighbors and brothers. France has the world’s largest Jewish population outside of Israel and the U.S., and Europe’s largest Muslim population outside of Turkey. French labour unions and organisations call for peace and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during a demonstration at Place de la Republique in Paris, France, October 22, 2023. Photo by Benoit Tessier/REUTERS 5:17 p.m. EDT U.S. fighter squadron arrives in Middle East WASHINGTON — The New Jersey Air National Guard’s 119 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived in the Middle East on Tuesday, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters. The squadron has F-16 fighter jets, and officials would not say where exactly it went. Ryder also said the U.S. is preparing for an increase in violence, noting that there have already been at least 13 attacks against troops and installations in Iraq and Syria. “What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran,” he said during a Pentagon briefing. He added that the U.S. won’t hesitate to take action if needed to protect its forces and interests in the region. 3:20 p.m. EDT Several dozen gather in London to remember Palestinian children killed in Gaza LONDON — Several dozen people held a vigil outside the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday to remember the thousands of Palestinian children killed by Israeli airstrikes. The group, organized by the Medical Aid for Palestinians charity, had written the names of dead children on their palms and held a minute of silence. “There has been an outpouring, justifiably, for those Israeli citizens who have been taken hostage,” said Layla Moran, a Liberal Democrat member of Parliament, who has family in Gaza. “I think it’s also equally important to show the depths of humanity for all those affected. … We’re going to be writing the names of one of the children on our hands to mark our respects for not just the children, but everyone who was an innocent civilian who has died in this conflict.” READ MORE: Violent threats across the country disrupt Muslim groups raising support for Palestinians More than 40 percent of the 5,700 reported killed in Gaza have been children. The vigil was held the same day families of Israelis killed or taken hostage by Hamas militants in Oct. 7 raids spoke at the Israeli Embassy in London. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians who died in the rampage and more than 220 were captured and taken back to Gaza. Saudi Arabia evacuates embassy staff and families of diplomats in Beirut, airport officials say BEIRUT — Lebanese airport officials say Saudi Arabia has evacuated the families of its diplomats and employees at the embassy in Beirut on two military planes that left Lebanon’s capital on Tuesday. There was no official announcement from Saudi authorities, but the move came days after Saudi Arabia urged its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately. The Saudi embassy did not respond to calls for comment. The officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations said Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari as well as the military attache and other diplomats and staffers did not leave the country. The officials said about 65 people left Lebanon Tuesday afternoon. It was not immediately clear if the embassy was still functioning as normal. The departures come amid rising tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border where members of the militant Hezbollah group have been exchanging fire with Israeli troops on daily basis. Untold number of children among the dead in Gaza KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — The sharp increase in Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip and large death toll Tuesday included an untold number of child deaths. Graphic photos and video shot by The Associated Press showed rescuers digging with their hands to unearth small bodies from the ruins of collapsed homes and buildings across Gaza. Unconscious children were cradled in the arms of adults who ran from ambulances and cars into Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. A man used one hand to give light chest compressions to a small child on the hood of an ambulance. WATCH: A child psychologist’s advice for talking with kids about the Israel-Hamas war A lifeless child who was dug out of the dirt from beneath concrete and a web of rebar where a house was destroyed in Khan Younis was wrapped in a blanket and laid on the side of a road next to an adult’s body. The body of an older boy on a stretcher was passed between anguished men along the edge of a large crater where a bomb had landed and destroyed buildings in Rafah. A father also knelt on the floor of the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah next to the bodies of three dead children cocooned in bloodied sheets with their faces showing. Who calls for immediate cease-fire, says humanitarian situation is ‘desperate’ CAIRO — The U.N. health agency on Tuesday called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza to be able to distribute fuel and essential, life-saving health supplies, including to major hospitals in the strip’s northern half. “For people in the Gaza Strip, the situation is desperate. It will become catastrophic without the safe and continuous passage of fuel and health supplies, and additional humanitarian assistance,” the World Health Organization said in a statement. The organization said some health facilities in northern Gaza, including the territory’s largest Shifa hospital, were waiting for WHO’s supplies and fuel. Among them is the Indonesian hospital, which suffered a brief power outage and was forced to shutter some critical services due to lack of fuel. Gaza’s only oncology hospital, the Turkish Friendship Hospital, remains partially functional, putting around 2000 cancer patients at risk, the agency added. Supported by U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the health agency said it delivered 34000 litres (8981.85 gallons) of fuel Monday to four major hospitals in southern Gaza and the Palestine Red Crescent. Such an amount was only enough to keep ambulances and critical hospital functions running for a little over 24 hours. It also distributed medicine and other supplies to key hospitals in southern Gaza, as well as the Palestine Red Crescent. 12:21 a.m. EDT Pregnant woman survives airstrike in Khan Younis, delivers healthy baby KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Navine Abu Owdah’s apartment in Khan Younis was hit by an airstrike on Tuesday, badly injuring the heavily pregnant 30-year-old. Owdah was quickly rushed to the nearby hospital of al-Amal where thankfully doctors managed to deliver a healthy baby girl. “A cesarean section was performed in the emergency department, and her baby girl, who is in good condition, was delivered,” doctor Salim Saqer said, speaking to The Associated Press from just outside the operating room. Navine, who suffered multiple fractures and has abdominal bleeding, remains under observation and is receiving treatment. Top Hamas official calls deaths in Gaza unprecedented BEIRUT — A top Hamas official says the killings that people are being subjected to in Gaza are unprecedented. Ghazi Hamad told reporters in Beirut that Israel is carrying out “brutal and savage acts against people” adding that in addition to the more than 5,700 people killed, more than 17,000 people have been wounded so far. “The death toll is changing every second,” Hamad said. “The counter is rising amid killings, destruction and revenge.” He said that among the dead were 57 doctors, nurses and paramedics, and that 27 ambulances were destroyed. Hamad said 122 entire families were killed, meaning that the parents were killed along with their children with no one left alive. Another senior Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, also told reporters that the U.N. should allow aid and fuel to enter Gaza saying that the amount of aid brought into the area so far is too little. Militant group criticizes Israel over ongoing bombardment of Gaza BEIRUT — The spokesman of the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group says Israel is acting in a way that shows it does not care about the lives of hostages held by militants in the Gaza Strip. Abu Hamza said in a statement released by the group Tuesday that the ongoing bombardment of Gaza indicates the Israeli government “does not want the prisoners (hostages) to see sunlight.” His comments came a day after the militant Hamas group released two Israeli women who were held hostage. Last week, Hamas released an American woman and her teenage daughter as part of a mediation by Qatar. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are holding abut 220 hostages that were captured on Oct. 7, when militants stormed southern Israeli towns. The Oct. 7, attack left more than 1,400 Israelis dead and since then Israel launched a bombing campaign against the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 5,700 Palestinians. 11:51 a.m. EDT Erdogan criticizes UN, international community for situation in Gaza ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday criticized the United Nations and the international community for failing to stop what he described as “massacres reaching the level of genocide” in Gaza. In a message released to mark the U.N.’s 78th anniversary, Erdogan said the international community had scored poorly in the face of “Israel’s unlawful and boundless attacks” toward civilians. He also criticized the U.N. Security Council saying it had rendered other U.N. agencies operating in the Palestinian territories “dysfunctional.” The council’s monthly Mideast meeting on Tuesday was turned into a high-level event with more than a dozen foreign ministers flying to New York. UN chief says situation in Middle East is growing ‘more dire,’ calls again for cease-fire UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations chief is warning that “the situation in the Middle East is growing more dire by the hour,” with the risk of the latest Israel-Hamas war spiraling through the region as tensions threaten to boil over. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and appealed “to all to pull back from the brink before the violence claims even more lives and spreads even farther.” He told the U.N. Security Council’s monthly Middle East meeting — which has been turned into a high-level event with more than a dozen foreign ministers flying to New York — that the rules of war must be obeyed. Guterres said the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify “the horrifying and unprecedented Oct. 7 acts of terror” by Hamas in Israel, and he demanded the immediate release of all hostages. He also stressed that “those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.” He called Israel’s constant bombardment of Gaza and the level of civilian casualties “alarming,” stressing that their protection in conflict is paramount. 9:44 a.m. EDT Israeli airstrikes killed more than 700 in the past day, Hamas-run health ministry says GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 700 people in the past day, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said Tuesday. That represented a massive increase in the death toll amid widening Israeli bombing attacks in the territory. Israel has been bombing Gaza since Hamas militants attacked southern Israeli towns on Oct. 7. READ MORE: In southern Gaza, a tent camp for displaced Palestinians reawakens old traumas That has brought the death toll from the war to 5,791, including 2,360 children, ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said in a statement. At least 16,297 others were wounded, he said. He said they have received 1,550 reports of missing people, including 870 children, suggesting that those missing could still be under the rubble of collapsed buildings. The World Health Organization said 12 hospitals out of a total of 35 in Gaza were not functioning as of Monday. It said 46 out of 72 health care facilities across Gaza, or 64 percent, were not operating, mostly in Gaza city and northern Gaza. Al-Qidra said the health facilities went out of service because of the attacks or because of a lack of fuel to keep them operating. “The Health Ministry announces a total collapse of hospitals in Gaza Strip,” he said. Al-Qidra called for the Egyptian government to open the Rafah crossing point and ensure the delivery of medical supplies and fuel to Gaza and allow the wounded to be treated in Egypt. Egypt says it didn’t close the crossing, but Israeli airstrikes on its Palestinian side forced its closure. Israeli airstrike hits refugee camp, killing several and wounding dozens NUSEIRAT REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip — An airstrike hit a bustling marketplace in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing several shoppers and wounding dozens, witnesses said. Men used sledgehammers to break up concrete and dug with their bare hands through the jagged wreckage to save anyone they could -– or recover the dead who had been buying meat and vegetables when the explosion hit. A man buried up to his chest in rubble looked up at his rescuers with wide eyes, his face coated in dust from the blast. An oxygen mask was placed on his face as rescuers worked to free him. About 15 minutes, he was unearthed and placed on a stretcher. A roar rose from the dozens of men watching, several with their arms raised in triumph as they cheered the rescue. On Tuesday, Israel said it had launched 400 airstrikes over the past day, killing Hamas commanders, hitting militants as they were preparing to launch rockets into Israel and striking command centers and a Hamas tunnel shaft. The previous day, Israel reported 320 strikes. The Palestinian official news agency, WAFA, said many of the airstrikes hit residential buildings, some of them in southern Gaza where Israel had told civilians to take shelter. Hamas’s military arm, Qassam Brigades, said it fired a salvo of rockets on southern Israeli on Tuesday afternoon, including Beersheba, Israel’s largest city in the area. There was no immediate word on any damage or casualties. France’s Macron says ‘fight must be without mercy, but not without rules’ JERUSALEM — French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking after meeting Israel’s prime minister on Tuesday, proposed a coalition to fight terror groups in the region “that threaten all of us.” He compared the proposal to the international coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. He was referring to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran itself and the Houtis in Yemen, among others, saying they must not take the risk of opening a new front. Macron, on a two-day visit to the region, met with families of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip by Hamas, and said “we will neglect nothing” to obtain freedom for French citizens. Nine French citizens are being held or have disappeared. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron before their talks in Jerusalem, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Emmanuel Macron is traveling to Israel to show France’s solidarity with the country and further work on the release of hostages who are being held in Gaza. Christophe Ena/Pool via Reuters Macron will head to Jordan on Wednesday to meet with King Abdullah II and possibly some other regional leaders, his office said. He also planned a stop later Tuesday in Ramallah, West Bank, to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Standing at the side of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Macron stressed Israel’s right to defend itself in its war with Hamas. “The fight must be without mercy, but not without rules” because democracies “respect the rules of war,” Macron said, adding that for example democracies don’t target civilians. His statement appeared to be a message to Israel, which has been criticized by some for attacks that have killed Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. He called for access to aid for Gaza and for electricity to be supplied to Gaza hospitals — not for making war. Netanyahu said it is Hamas that is responsible for civilian casualties, but that “we will do every effort to avoid them.” He added, “It could be a long war.” “Hamas must be destroyed,” Netanyahu said, calling it a condition for ending the war. Macron said any peace “cannot be durable” without restarting a “decisive” political process with Palestinians. But he said, “Hamas does not (represent) the Palestinian cause.” U.S. issues warning to ships in the Red Sea JERUSALEM — The U.S. is issuing a new warning to ships traveling through the Red Sea after a drone and missile attack launched from Yemen during the Israel-Hamas war. The U.S. Maritime Administration warning on Tuesday urged vessels to “exercise caution when transiting this region.” The U.S. Navy says it shot down missiles and drones believed to have been launched by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in recent days amid wider tensions across the Middle East over the war. Hezbollah-allied politician says Lebanon won’t initiate a war with Israel BEIRUT — A prominent Lebanese Christian politician allied with Hezbollah said Tuesday that Lebanon would not initiate a war with Israel but would defend itself if attacked. The comments by Gebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement of former President Michel Aoun, came as sporadic clashes continue on the Lebanese border with Israel between Hezbollah and armed Palestinian groups in Lebanon on one side and Israeli forces on the other. “No one can drag us into war unless the Israeli enemy attacks us, and then we will be forced to defend ourselves,” Bassil said after a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, another Hezbollah ally. Bassil also spoke by phone to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Monday. “All the Lebanese agree that they do not want war, but that does not mean that we should allow ourselves to be attacked without a response.” There has been widespread speculation as to whether and under what circumstances Hezbollah and its arsenal of an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles would fully enter the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The ongoing clashes on the border and anxieties about a wider conflict have internally displaced 19,646 people in Lebanon, according to the International Organization for Migration. Released hostage says she was beaten with sticks when kidnapped TEL AVIV — Yocheved Lifshitz, an 85-year-old woman released by Hamas, told reporters Tuesday that the militants beat her with sticks, bruising her ribs and making it hard to breathe, as they kidnapped her during their attack on towns in southern Israel on Oct. 7. They drove her into Gaza, then forced her to walk several kilometers (miles) on wet ground to reach a network of tunnels that looked like a spider web, she said. Lifshitz is one of only four hostages to be released — and the first to speak publicly — of the more than 220 believed held by Hamas. Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, an Israeli grandmother who was held hostage in Gaza, smiles after being released by Hamas militants, at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel October 24, 2023. Janis Laizans/Reuters She said the people assigned to guard her “told us they are people who believe in the Quran and wouldn’t hurt us.” Lifshitz, whose husband remains a hostage, said that after she and four other people were taken into a room, they were treated well, conditions were clean, and they received medical care, including medication. They ate one meal a day of cheese and cucumber, she said, adding that her captors ate the same. Israeli air strikes on homes kill 28 people in Rafah, Interior Ministry says KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israeli fighter jets pounded several homes overnight in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, killing at least 28 people, according to the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. The ministry reported other airstrikes across the besieged territory which it said left dozens dead. In Khan Younis, an Israeli airstrike hit a building in a refugee area late Tuesday morning, leaving many casualties. An Associated Press journalist saw ambulances bringing two dead and two wounded people from the strike. The Palestinian Red Crescent said the airstrike in densely populated Khan Younis hit a house near its hospital, Al-Amal. It said the airstrike caused panic at the hospital and its shelter center, which houses 4,000 people who fled their homes in northern Gaza because of the bombardments. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have moved to southern Gaza, including Rafah, which borders Egypt, after Israel told civilians to flee southward ahead of an expected ground invasion. However, Israel has continued its attacks across Gaza’s southern areas. Qatar’s ruling emir says Israel shouldn’t have a ‘green light’ to kill JERUSALEM — The ruling emir of the small Middle East nation of Qatar, which hosts an office of Hamas and has served as an intermediary in hostage negotiations, said Tuesday that it “is untenable for Israel to be given an unconditional green light and free license to kill.” The comments by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Qatar’s consultative Shura Council come as negotiations continue to free more of the approximately 200 hostages Hamas has held since its Oct. 7 assault on Israel. About 1,400 people in Israel died in the assault, while the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip says over 5,000 people have died in Israeli airstrikes since then. “We are against attacks on innocent civilians, regardless of their nationality, by any party,” Sheikh Tamim said. “But we do not accept double standards, nor do we accept acting as if the Palestinian children’s lives are not worth to be reckoned with, as though they are faceless or nameless.” He added: “We are saying enough is enough. It is untenable for Israel to be given an unconditional green light and free license to kill, nor it is tenable to continue ignoring the reality of occupation, siege and settlement. It should not be allowed in our time to use cutting off water and preventing medicine and food as weapons against an entire population.” Sheikh Tamim renewed calls for a Palestinian state based on Israel’s 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital, something long called for by other Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia. Qatar had a trade office for Israel from 1996 until 2000, but broke ties in 2009 over an Israel-Hamas war at the time. Under arrangements stemming from past cease-fire understandings with Israel, the gas-rich emirate of Qatar has paid the salaries of civil servants in the Gaza Strip, provided direct cash transfers to poor families and offered other kinds of humanitarian aid. By — Associated Press Associated Press
Israel is escalating its bombardment of targets in the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected ground invasion against Hamas militants. The war is rapidly raising the death toll in Gaza, and the U.S. fears the fighting could spark a wider conflict in the region. WATCH: Israeli bombardment of Gaza persists amid calls to address worsening humanitarian disaster Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the Hamas attack on Israeli towns on Oct. 7. The aid convoys allowed into Gaza so far have carried a fraction of what’s needed, and the U.N. said distribution will have to stop if there’s no fuel for the trucks. The war, in its 18th day Tuesday, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed and 16,297 wounded. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage. In addition, 222 people including foreigners were believed captured by Hamas during the incursion and taken into Gaza, Israel’s military has said. Four of those have been released. Currently: The U.S. Department of Defense is assisting Israel in its war planning by sending military advisers 40 years after bombing that killed Americans in Beirut, US troops again deploy east of Mediterranean The war is giving Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system its toughest challenge yet Release of more hostages gives some hope to families of others abducted in the attack on Israel Here’s what’s happening in the latest Israel-Hamas war: 7:47 p.m. EDT Rating agency S&P changes Israel credit outlook from ‘stable’ to ‘negative’ NEW YORK — Credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s says it is changing its outlook on Israel’s credit rating to “negative” from “stable” as the country fights a war against Hamas in Gaza in response to the militant group’s devastating attack. S&P said Tuesday it was revising the outlooks on its long-term foreign and local-currency ratings on Israel, citing the war, its potential to escalate into a broader regional conflict and the impact that could have on the country’s economy. S&P left Israel’s credit rating unchanged at AA-. The agency’s highest rating is AAA. By revising the outlook, S&P is raising a warning flag signaling that a rating downgrade could happen in the future. Credit ratings firms Fitch and Moody’s have taken similar actions. Official says Canada doesn’t believe Hamas would respect a cease-fire OTTAWA, Ontario — Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said Tuesday that Canada’s government does not believe Hamas would respect a cease-fire in its conflict with Israel. “I have no expectation that a terrorist organization would respect international law or any call for a cease-fire,” Blair said before heading into a Cabinet meeting. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said afterward that Canada supports the idea of “humanitarian pauses,” temporary halts to fighting, allowing for aid to get into Gaza safely and people to leave. Hamas is sworn to Israel’s destruction, and Blair said it is a threat as long as it exists. “I think (Israel has) a right to defend themselves against that terror threat,″ Blair said. “And quite frankly, Hamas has to be eliminated as a threat, not just to Israel but to the world.″ Canada has listed Hamas as a terrorist group since 2002 and has no dealings with any of its leaders. Israeli FM renews vow to crush Hamas. Palestinian FM says it is ‘collective human duty’ to stop the bloodshed UNITED NATIONS — Israel is vowing again to destroy Hamas, rejecting calls for a cease-fire from the U.N. chief, the Palestinians and many countries at a high-level U.N. meeting and saying the war in Gaza is not merely its own but “the war of the free world.” Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also dismissed calls for “proportionality” in the country’s response to Hamas’ surprise attacks Oct. 7 that killed 1,400 people. More than 5,700 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, according to its Health Ministry. Cohen told the U.N. Security Council the proportionate response to the Oct. 7 massacre is “a total destruction to the last one of the Hamas,” calling the extremist group “the new Nazis.” “It is not only Israel’s right to destroy Hamas. It’s our duty,” he said. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said he came to the meeting “to stop … the ongoing massacres being deliberately and systematically and savagely perpetrated by Israel.” “Over 2 million Palestinians are on a survival mission every day, every night,” he added. Under international law, al-Maliki said, “it is our collective human duty to stop” the Israeli attacks and bloodshed. 6:34 p.m. EDT France’s Macron visits Israel to show support JERUSALEM — French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel on Tuesday in the latest trip by a Western leader to express support for the country amid its war against Hamas, offering an assurance that Israel is “not left alone in the war against terrorism.” Macron met with the families of French citizens who were killed or taken hostage in the devastating Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, saying, “we will neglect nothing” to obtain freedom for French citizens. Nine French nationals are missing or believed held captive, and 30 were killed. READ MORE: French police accused of systemic discrimination in landmark legal case At a news conference in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Macron stressed Israel’s right to defend itself. “The fight must be without mercy, but not without rules,” Macron said, because democracies “respect the rules of war,” an apparent reference to criticism of Israeli airstrikes that have killed Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. He later traveled to the Israeli-occupied West Bank for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who runs the semi-autonomous Palestinian Authority. Macron said Hamas’ attack was “also a catastrophe” for Palestinians and “there will be no lasting peace” without a two-state solution. Calls for peace at interfaith gathering in France MARSEILLE, France — Jewish, Muslim and Christian faith leaders held hands and called for peace in the Middle East at a gathering Tuesday in the Mediterranean city of Marseille. Around 100 people came together outside the landmark Notre Dame de la Garde church in an event organized by fans of the Olympique de Marseille soccer team. Faith leaders spoke in turn in favor of peace and led the crowd in a moment of silence honoring victims of the Israel-Hamas war. Political flags were barred from the gathering, meant as a moment of community togetherness at a tense time. The faith leaders spoke of each other as neighbors and brothers. France has the world’s largest Jewish population outside of Israel and the U.S., and Europe’s largest Muslim population outside of Turkey. French labour unions and organisations call for peace and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during a demonstration at Place de la Republique in Paris, France, October 22, 2023. Photo by Benoit Tessier/REUTERS 5:17 p.m. EDT U.S. fighter squadron arrives in Middle East WASHINGTON — The New Jersey Air National Guard’s 119 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived in the Middle East on Tuesday, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters. The squadron has F-16 fighter jets, and officials would not say where exactly it went. Ryder also said the U.S. is preparing for an increase in violence, noting that there have already been at least 13 attacks against troops and installations in Iraq and Syria. “What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran,” he said during a Pentagon briefing. He added that the U.S. won’t hesitate to take action if needed to protect its forces and interests in the region. 3:20 p.m. EDT Several dozen gather in London to remember Palestinian children killed in Gaza LONDON — Several dozen people held a vigil outside the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday to remember the thousands of Palestinian children killed by Israeli airstrikes. The group, organized by the Medical Aid for Palestinians charity, had written the names of dead children on their palms and held a minute of silence. “There has been an outpouring, justifiably, for those Israeli citizens who have been taken hostage,” said Layla Moran, a Liberal Democrat member of Parliament, who has family in Gaza. “I think it’s also equally important to show the depths of humanity for all those affected. … We’re going to be writing the names of one of the children on our hands to mark our respects for not just the children, but everyone who was an innocent civilian who has died in this conflict.” READ MORE: Violent threats across the country disrupt Muslim groups raising support for Palestinians More than 40 percent of the 5,700 reported killed in Gaza have been children. The vigil was held the same day families of Israelis killed or taken hostage by Hamas militants in Oct. 7 raids spoke at the Israeli Embassy in London. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians who died in the rampage and more than 220 were captured and taken back to Gaza. Saudi Arabia evacuates embassy staff and families of diplomats in Beirut, airport officials say BEIRUT — Lebanese airport officials say Saudi Arabia has evacuated the families of its diplomats and employees at the embassy in Beirut on two military planes that left Lebanon’s capital on Tuesday. There was no official announcement from Saudi authorities, but the move came days after Saudi Arabia urged its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately. The Saudi embassy did not respond to calls for comment. The officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations said Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari as well as the military attache and other diplomats and staffers did not leave the country. The officials said about 65 people left Lebanon Tuesday afternoon. It was not immediately clear if the embassy was still functioning as normal. The departures come amid rising tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border where members of the militant Hezbollah group have been exchanging fire with Israeli troops on daily basis. Untold number of children among the dead in Gaza KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — The sharp increase in Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip and large death toll Tuesday included an untold number of child deaths. Graphic photos and video shot by The Associated Press showed rescuers digging with their hands to unearth small bodies from the ruins of collapsed homes and buildings across Gaza. Unconscious children were cradled in the arms of adults who ran from ambulances and cars into Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. A man used one hand to give light chest compressions to a small child on the hood of an ambulance. WATCH: A child psychologist’s advice for talking with kids about the Israel-Hamas war A lifeless child who was dug out of the dirt from beneath concrete and a web of rebar where a house was destroyed in Khan Younis was wrapped in a blanket and laid on the side of a road next to an adult’s body. The body of an older boy on a stretcher was passed between anguished men along the edge of a large crater where a bomb had landed and destroyed buildings in Rafah. A father also knelt on the floor of the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah next to the bodies of three dead children cocooned in bloodied sheets with their faces showing. Who calls for immediate cease-fire, says humanitarian situation is ‘desperate’ CAIRO — The U.N. health agency on Tuesday called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza to be able to distribute fuel and essential, life-saving health supplies, including to major hospitals in the strip’s northern half. “For people in the Gaza Strip, the situation is desperate. It will become catastrophic without the safe and continuous passage of fuel and health supplies, and additional humanitarian assistance,” the World Health Organization said in a statement. The organization said some health facilities in northern Gaza, including the territory’s largest Shifa hospital, were waiting for WHO’s supplies and fuel. Among them is the Indonesian hospital, which suffered a brief power outage and was forced to shutter some critical services due to lack of fuel. Gaza’s only oncology hospital, the Turkish Friendship Hospital, remains partially functional, putting around 2000 cancer patients at risk, the agency added. Supported by U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the health agency said it delivered 34000 litres (8981.85 gallons) of fuel Monday to four major hospitals in southern Gaza and the Palestine Red Crescent. Such an amount was only enough to keep ambulances and critical hospital functions running for a little over 24 hours. It also distributed medicine and other supplies to key hospitals in southern Gaza, as well as the Palestine Red Crescent. 12:21 a.m. EDT Pregnant woman survives airstrike in Khan Younis, delivers healthy baby KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Navine Abu Owdah’s apartment in Khan Younis was hit by an airstrike on Tuesday, badly injuring the heavily pregnant 30-year-old. Owdah was quickly rushed to the nearby hospital of al-Amal where thankfully doctors managed to deliver a healthy baby girl. “A cesarean section was performed in the emergency department, and her baby girl, who is in good condition, was delivered,” doctor Salim Saqer said, speaking to The Associated Press from just outside the operating room. Navine, who suffered multiple fractures and has abdominal bleeding, remains under observation and is receiving treatment. Top Hamas official calls deaths in Gaza unprecedented BEIRUT — A top Hamas official says the killings that people are being subjected to in Gaza are unprecedented. Ghazi Hamad told reporters in Beirut that Israel is carrying out “brutal and savage acts against people” adding that in addition to the more than 5,700 people killed, more than 17,000 people have been wounded so far. “The death toll is changing every second,” Hamad said. “The counter is rising amid killings, destruction and revenge.” He said that among the dead were 57 doctors, nurses and paramedics, and that 27 ambulances were destroyed. Hamad said 122 entire families were killed, meaning that the parents were killed along with their children with no one left alive. Another senior Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, also told reporters that the U.N. should allow aid and fuel to enter Gaza saying that the amount of aid brought into the area so far is too little. Militant group criticizes Israel over ongoing bombardment of Gaza BEIRUT — The spokesman of the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group says Israel is acting in a way that shows it does not care about the lives of hostages held by militants in the Gaza Strip. Abu Hamza said in a statement released by the group Tuesday that the ongoing bombardment of Gaza indicates the Israeli government “does not want the prisoners (hostages) to see sunlight.” His comments came a day after the militant Hamas group released two Israeli women who were held hostage. Last week, Hamas released an American woman and her teenage daughter as part of a mediation by Qatar. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are holding abut 220 hostages that were captured on Oct. 7, when militants stormed southern Israeli towns. The Oct. 7, attack left more than 1,400 Israelis dead and since then Israel launched a bombing campaign against the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 5,700 Palestinians. 11:51 a.m. EDT Erdogan criticizes UN, international community for situation in Gaza ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday criticized the United Nations and the international community for failing to stop what he described as “massacres reaching the level of genocide” in Gaza. In a message released to mark the U.N.’s 78th anniversary, Erdogan said the international community had scored poorly in the face of “Israel’s unlawful and boundless attacks” toward civilians. He also criticized the U.N. Security Council saying it had rendered other U.N. agencies operating in the Palestinian territories “dysfunctional.” The council’s monthly Mideast meeting on Tuesday was turned into a high-level event with more than a dozen foreign ministers flying to New York. UN chief says situation in Middle East is growing ‘more dire,’ calls again for cease-fire UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations chief is warning that “the situation in the Middle East is growing more dire by the hour,” with the risk of the latest Israel-Hamas war spiraling through the region as tensions threaten to boil over. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and appealed “to all to pull back from the brink before the violence claims even more lives and spreads even farther.” He told the U.N. Security Council’s monthly Middle East meeting — which has been turned into a high-level event with more than a dozen foreign ministers flying to New York — that the rules of war must be obeyed. Guterres said the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify “the horrifying and unprecedented Oct. 7 acts of terror” by Hamas in Israel, and he demanded the immediate release of all hostages. He also stressed that “those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.” He called Israel’s constant bombardment of Gaza and the level of civilian casualties “alarming,” stressing that their protection in conflict is paramount. 9:44 a.m. EDT Israeli airstrikes killed more than 700 in the past day, Hamas-run health ministry says GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 700 people in the past day, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said Tuesday. That represented a massive increase in the death toll amid widening Israeli bombing attacks in the territory. Israel has been bombing Gaza since Hamas militants attacked southern Israeli towns on Oct. 7. READ MORE: In southern Gaza, a tent camp for displaced Palestinians reawakens old traumas That has brought the death toll from the war to 5,791, including 2,360 children, ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said in a statement. At least 16,297 others were wounded, he said. He said they have received 1,550 reports of missing people, including 870 children, suggesting that those missing could still be under the rubble of collapsed buildings. The World Health Organization said 12 hospitals out of a total of 35 in Gaza were not functioning as of Monday. It said 46 out of 72 health care facilities across Gaza, or 64 percent, were not operating, mostly in Gaza city and northern Gaza. Al-Qidra said the health facilities went out of service because of the attacks or because of a lack of fuel to keep them operating. “The Health Ministry announces a total collapse of hospitals in Gaza Strip,” he said. Al-Qidra called for the Egyptian government to open the Rafah crossing point and ensure the delivery of medical supplies and fuel to Gaza and allow the wounded to be treated in Egypt. Egypt says it didn’t close the crossing, but Israeli airstrikes on its Palestinian side forced its closure. Israeli airstrike hits refugee camp, killing several and wounding dozens NUSEIRAT REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip — An airstrike hit a bustling marketplace in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing several shoppers and wounding dozens, witnesses said. Men used sledgehammers to break up concrete and dug with their bare hands through the jagged wreckage to save anyone they could -– or recover the dead who had been buying meat and vegetables when the explosion hit. A man buried up to his chest in rubble looked up at his rescuers with wide eyes, his face coated in dust from the blast. An oxygen mask was placed on his face as rescuers worked to free him. About 15 minutes, he was unearthed and placed on a stretcher. A roar rose from the dozens of men watching, several with their arms raised in triumph as they cheered the rescue. On Tuesday, Israel said it had launched 400 airstrikes over the past day, killing Hamas commanders, hitting militants as they were preparing to launch rockets into Israel and striking command centers and a Hamas tunnel shaft. The previous day, Israel reported 320 strikes. The Palestinian official news agency, WAFA, said many of the airstrikes hit residential buildings, some of them in southern Gaza where Israel had told civilians to take shelter. Hamas’s military arm, Qassam Brigades, said it fired a salvo of rockets on southern Israeli on Tuesday afternoon, including Beersheba, Israel’s largest city in the area. There was no immediate word on any damage or casualties. France’s Macron says ‘fight must be without mercy, but not without rules’ JERUSALEM — French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking after meeting Israel’s prime minister on Tuesday, proposed a coalition to fight terror groups in the region “that threaten all of us.” He compared the proposal to the international coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. He was referring to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran itself and the Houtis in Yemen, among others, saying they must not take the risk of opening a new front. Macron, on a two-day visit to the region, met with families of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip by Hamas, and said “we will neglect nothing” to obtain freedom for French citizens. Nine French citizens are being held or have disappeared. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron before their talks in Jerusalem, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Emmanuel Macron is traveling to Israel to show France’s solidarity with the country and further work on the release of hostages who are being held in Gaza. Christophe Ena/Pool via Reuters Macron will head to Jordan on Wednesday to meet with King Abdullah II and possibly some other regional leaders, his office said. He also planned a stop later Tuesday in Ramallah, West Bank, to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Standing at the side of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Macron stressed Israel’s right to defend itself in its war with Hamas. “The fight must be without mercy, but not without rules” because democracies “respect the rules of war,” Macron said, adding that for example democracies don’t target civilians. His statement appeared to be a message to Israel, which has been criticized by some for attacks that have killed Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. He called for access to aid for Gaza and for electricity to be supplied to Gaza hospitals — not for making war. Netanyahu said it is Hamas that is responsible for civilian casualties, but that “we will do every effort to avoid them.” He added, “It could be a long war.” “Hamas must be destroyed,” Netanyahu said, calling it a condition for ending the war. Macron said any peace “cannot be durable” without restarting a “decisive” political process with Palestinians. But he said, “Hamas does not (represent) the Palestinian cause.” U.S. issues warning to ships in the Red Sea JERUSALEM — The U.S. is issuing a new warning to ships traveling through the Red Sea after a drone and missile attack launched from Yemen during the Israel-Hamas war. The U.S. Maritime Administration warning on Tuesday urged vessels to “exercise caution when transiting this region.” The U.S. Navy says it shot down missiles and drones believed to have been launched by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in recent days amid wider tensions across the Middle East over the war. Hezbollah-allied politician says Lebanon won’t initiate a war with Israel BEIRUT — A prominent Lebanese Christian politician allied with Hezbollah said Tuesday that Lebanon would not initiate a war with Israel but would defend itself if attacked. The comments by Gebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement of former President Michel Aoun, came as sporadic clashes continue on the Lebanese border with Israel between Hezbollah and armed Palestinian groups in Lebanon on one side and Israeli forces on the other. “No one can drag us into war unless the Israeli enemy attacks us, and then we will be forced to defend ourselves,” Bassil said after a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, another Hezbollah ally. Bassil also spoke by phone to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Monday. “All the Lebanese agree that they do not want war, but that does not mean that we should allow ourselves to be attacked without a response.” There has been widespread speculation as to whether and under what circumstances Hezbollah and its arsenal of an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles would fully enter the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The ongoing clashes on the border and anxieties about a wider conflict have internally displaced 19,646 people in Lebanon, according to the International Organization for Migration. Released hostage says she was beaten with sticks when kidnapped TEL AVIV — Yocheved Lifshitz, an 85-year-old woman released by Hamas, told reporters Tuesday that the militants beat her with sticks, bruising her ribs and making it hard to breathe, as they kidnapped her during their attack on towns in southern Israel on Oct. 7. They drove her into Gaza, then forced her to walk several kilometers (miles) on wet ground to reach a network of tunnels that looked like a spider web, she said. Lifshitz is one of only four hostages to be released — and the first to speak publicly — of the more than 220 believed held by Hamas. Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, an Israeli grandmother who was held hostage in Gaza, smiles after being released by Hamas militants, at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel October 24, 2023. Janis Laizans/Reuters She said the people assigned to guard her “told us they are people who believe in the Quran and wouldn’t hurt us.” Lifshitz, whose husband remains a hostage, said that after she and four other people were taken into a room, they were treated well, conditions were clean, and they received medical care, including medication. They ate one meal a day of cheese and cucumber, she said, adding that her captors ate the same. Israeli air strikes on homes kill 28 people in Rafah, Interior Ministry says KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israeli fighter jets pounded several homes overnight in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, killing at least 28 people, according to the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. The ministry reported other airstrikes across the besieged territory which it said left dozens dead. In Khan Younis, an Israeli airstrike hit a building in a refugee area late Tuesday morning, leaving many casualties. An Associated Press journalist saw ambulances bringing two dead and two wounded people from the strike. The Palestinian Red Crescent said the airstrike in densely populated Khan Younis hit a house near its hospital, Al-Amal. It said the airstrike caused panic at the hospital and its shelter center, which houses 4,000 people who fled their homes in northern Gaza because of the bombardments. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have moved to southern Gaza, including Rafah, which borders Egypt, after Israel told civilians to flee southward ahead of an expected ground invasion. However, Israel has continued its attacks across Gaza’s southern areas. Qatar’s ruling emir says Israel shouldn’t have a ‘green light’ to kill JERUSALEM — The ruling emir of the small Middle East nation of Qatar, which hosts an office of Hamas and has served as an intermediary in hostage negotiations, said Tuesday that it “is untenable for Israel to be given an unconditional green light and free license to kill.” The comments by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Qatar’s consultative Shura Council come as negotiations continue to free more of the approximately 200 hostages Hamas has held since its Oct. 7 assault on Israel. About 1,400 people in Israel died in the assault, while the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip says over 5,000 people have died in Israeli airstrikes since then. “We are against attacks on innocent civilians, regardless of their nationality, by any party,” Sheikh Tamim said. “But we do not accept double standards, nor do we accept acting as if the Palestinian children’s lives are not worth to be reckoned with, as though they are faceless or nameless.” He added: “We are saying enough is enough. It is untenable for Israel to be given an unconditional green light and free license to kill, nor it is tenable to continue ignoring the reality of occupation, siege and settlement. It should not be allowed in our time to use cutting off water and preventing medicine and food as weapons against an entire population.” Sheikh Tamim renewed calls for a Palestinian state based on Israel’s 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital, something long called for by other Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia. Qatar had a trade office for Israel from 1996 until 2000, but broke ties in 2009 over an Israel-Hamas war at the time. Under arrangements stemming from past cease-fire understandings with Israel, the gas-rich emirate of Qatar has paid the salaries of civil servants in the Gaza Strip, provided direct cash transfers to poor families and offered other kinds of humanitarian aid.