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The death toll has exceeded 40,000 since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct 7, 2023.
JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday toured southern Israel, where the surprise Hamas attack took place a week ago, encouraging troops to get "prepared for what is coming," according to his office.
The spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Daniel Hagari also said the forces are preparing to expand the attack, suggesting a ground operation on the Gaza Strip.
A statement released by the military said "The IDF forces are currently preparing to implement a wide range of operational offensive plans, which can include combined and coordinated attack from the air, sea and land."
Rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel continued on Saturday, with tens of rockets being intercepted by Israeli air-defense systems, while the IDF continued to pound Gaza with airstrikes and issued a second warning to Gaza residents, urging them to evacuate to the southern part of the coastal enclave. The army allowed safe passage on two major routes in the Gaza Strip for several hours and resumed massive airstrikes afterward.
Israel's mass evacuation order was met with rejection from several countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye, as well as regional and international organizations, including the Arab League, United Nations and the WHO.
According to the IDF, its aircraft targeted and killed Ali Qadi, a commander of the Hamas commando force believed to be behind the surprise attack on southern Israel exactly a week ago.
Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi admitted in a press conference that Israel made a mistake in not foreseeing the attack. He also warned that Hamas will "no longer be the sovereign, or in control" of the Gaza Strip after Israel's military operation.
About 150 to 200 hostages are believed to be held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hanegbi said, confirming no active negotiation efforts are underway with Hamas.
In northern Israel, the IDF and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have been exchanging missiles and artillery shellings since Sunday, raising fears of a second front in the war.
The Israel-Hamas conflict, as it entered the eighth day, has pushed the Palestinian death toll to 2,215, with 8,714 injuries, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, the Israeli fatalities since Oct 7 had reached 1,300, while nearly 3,400 were injured, Israeli media reported on Friday, citing official sources.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday reiterated China’s stance on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, saying that major countries should stay objective and impartial, keep calm and exercise restraint when dealing with international and regional hot spot issues.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a telephone conversation with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a five-day trip to the Middle East.
The urgent task is to stop the fighting between Palestine and Israel so as to avoid exacerbating humanitarian disasters, Wang said, while urging the US to play a constructive role in bringing the issue back to the track of political settlement.
There is no way out by military means, and fighting violence with violence will only lead to a vicious circle, Wang said.
China condemns all acts that harm civilians and opposes any violation of international law, Wang said.
He called for opening up a humanitarian rescue and assistance passage and supported the United Nations in building international consensus and the UN Security Council in playing its due role.
The answer to the Palestinian issue is the two-state solution and an independent State of Palestine, this is how Palestine and Israel could coexist in peace, he said.
There can be no peace in the Middle East without reconciliation between the Arabs and Israel, the foreign minister said.
China calls for convening an international peace conference as soon as possible to promote reaching broad consensus, he said.
Blinken said that the US supports the two-state solution, and supports the UN's role in de-escalating the Palestinian-Israeli situation and providing humanitarian assistance.
Washington stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Beijing, he said.
Wang and Blinken also exchanged views on China-US relations during the phone call.
A series of high-level contacts between the two sides has helped stabilized bilateral relations, which is welcomed by the people of the two countries and the international community, Wang said.
He said he hopes that the US will work on the same direction with China to remove obstacles, respect China's core interests and major concerns, so as to bring bilateral ties back to the track of stable development.
Blinken said that Washington will work with Beijing to manage their relationship in a responsible way.
UNITED NATIONS - Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Friday urged immediate necessary measures to secure a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel.
Addressing the Security Council during its emergency consultations, Zhang, representing China's position, elaborated on the current grave situation between Palestine and Israel and emphasized the critical need to avert more significant humanitarian catastrophes.
Zhang said that the latest round of conflicts has resulted in "massive civilian casualties and humanitarian crises". China condemns all violence and attacks against civilians, and opposes all acts that violate international law.
"China reiterates its call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, and its support for all efforts to realize a ceasefire as soon as possible, so as to prevent a further escalation of tensions and the spillover of the flames of war impacting regional and international security," he said.
Zhang said that the protection of civilians in armed conflict is "a red line" under international humanitarian law.
"The indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable, and neither Palestinian nor Israeli civilians should be targeted," he said.
On the safety of UN staff and humanitarian workers, Zhang said that their safety "must be guaranteed".
The envoy expressed China's serious concerns about the consequences of Israel's imposition of "a full siege" on Gaza and its order of a 24-hour emergency evacuation of the population in northern Gaza.
"China calls on Israel to heed the appeals of the international community and the UN secretary-general to stop the collective punishment of the people in Gaza, so as to avoid exacerbating the humanitarian disasters," he said.
Moreover, Zhang said that China supports active discussions on a humanitarian corridor in Gaza and the conclusion of feasible arrangements at an early date, and appreciates the efforts by Egypt and other countries concerned in this regard.
The ambassador also underscored that China supports diplomatic efforts to ensure that the safety and humanitarian needs of hostages can be guaranteed, and that they can be released and returned home safely as quickly as possible.
Talking about solutions, the ambassador said that the answer lies in "the early resumption of genuine peace talks" to realize the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the peaceful coexistence of the two states, Palestine and Israel.
"While addressing the ongoing crisis, the international community must adhere to the fundamental direction of the two-state solution, work for broader consensus, and formulate a timetable and road map to that end," he said.
Zhang emphasized that the United Nations must play its due role, and the Security Council must demonstrate its commitment by quickly forging consensus and taking practical measures to promote a ceasefire and prevent humanitarian disasters.
JERUSALEM - Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate to the southern area of the coastal enclave ahead of a possible Israeli ground offensive.
"The IDF calls for the evacuation of all civilians ... for their own safety and protection," read a statement issued Friday morning.
"You will be able to return to Gaza City only when another announcement permitting it is made," the statement said.
According to the IDF, Hamas militants are using underground tunnels in the city to hide.
Israel is believed to be preparing for a ground incursion on the Gaza Strip, according to media reports and analysis.
Since this round of attacks between Hamas and Israel began on Saturday, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes against targets in the Gaza Strip. So far more than 1,500 Palestinians and more than 1,300 Israelis have been killed.
GAZA - The 35-year-old Farid Abdul Halim Mousleh thought that escaping the fierce bombardment on his town of Beit Hanoun, north of Gaza, would spare his family from the ongoing Israeli air strikes on the coastal enclave that have lasted for six days.
However, it seems that no place is safe in the Gaza Strip anymore as his new home in the heart of the Gaza City was also subjected to Israeli shelling, injuring him and his father and killing two of his elderly relatives.
Struggling to come to terms with the sudden and devastating losses in grief, the man, with his head all bandaged and eyes swollen from injuries, told Xinhua that "we did not expect such a tragedy."
Mousleh recalled that his family was getting ready to sleep when the Israeli attack began. Then he rushed out of the building to Jalaa Street in the heart of Gaza City with his parents, his wife, four children and some elderly relatives.
The next morning, after a strong airstrike hit the place again where they had sought refuge, he woke up in a hospital bed.
Mousleh is one of the thousands of Palestinians who had to flee their homes in the border town of Beit Hanoun with Israel and other neighborhoods and camps in Gaza due to the continuous and intense Israeli bombardment for the past six days.
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) launched since Saturday thousands of rockets at Israeli cities, while hundreds of its militants infiltrated the Israeli towns adjacent to Gaza, killing and wounding Israelis.
Israel, in response, launched intense and unprecedented attacks on the Gaza Strip, causing widespread destruction and sometimes wiping out entire neighborhoods.
Now, the Shifa Medical Complex, a main medical center in Gaza, is overcrowded with casualties from Israeli shelling, including dozens of entire families.
The injured have spread out on the hospital's grounds, with some sleeping on mats or blankets, and children without shoes cling to their mothers when they hear the sound of explosions.
Facing the ever-worsening situation, Palestinian Health Minister Mai Alkaila warned of the collapse of the overwhelmed healthcare system in the Gaza Strip due to a severe shortage of medical supplies.
Alkaila said in a press release that the large number of casualties exceeds the capacity of Gaza's hospitals, calling on international organizations and the Red Cross to immediately intervene and provide medical aid.
According to the latest statistics from the Gaza-based Health Ministry, 1,417 Palestinians have been killed, and over 6,268 others have been injured. Meanwhile, Israel's public broadcaster Kan said the Israeli death toll had risen to more than 1,300.
Israel cut off its power supply to the Gaza Strip and ordered a complete siege on the Palestinian enclave, home to over 2.2 million people.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on Thursday that at least 340,000 Palestinians have been displaced since the escalation on Saturday.
"The water crisis is looming in UNRWA shelters and throughout Gaza due to the lack of electricity needed to operate pumps and water desalination plants and the limited water supply in the local market," added the UN agency.
UNITED NATIONS - Israeli strikes that have crippled two Syrian airports are extremely worrying, said a UN spokesman on Thursday.
Reports of Israeli strikes on Aleppo and Damascus airports are extremely worrying, especially in light of the warnings and the concern of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for an escalation of the tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, said Stephane Dujarric, Guterres' spokesman.
Guterres strongly condemns all violence in Syria and urges all parties to respect their obligations under international law, recalling that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected under international humanitarian law, said the spokesman.
"We're at a time where these heightened tensions, where any miscalculation could lead to broader violence in an already volatile region," he told a daily press briefing.
The fact that the two airports are not functioning will have a temporary halt on the UN Humanitarian Air Service, which operates out of both airports to service the Syrian humanitarian programs, he said.
Syria's SANA state news agency reported Thursday that Israeli missile strikes have put the international airports in Damascus and Aleppo out of service.
JERUSALEM/GAZA - The Israeli military chief said Thursday that Israel seeks an end to the rule of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip, targeting its senior leaders with days of heavy bombardment, which has caused more than 1,500 deaths in the Palestinian enclave.
As massive airstrikes on Gaza killed three senior Hamas members and entered the sixth day, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar and the group's leadership "are dead men walking."
The IDF said Israel would no longer allow the Gaza-ruling faction to exist as an entity with a mutual border.
"Unlike other operations, we are seeking to topple Hamas," said IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari in a televised statement.
Israel has mobilized 360,000 reservists on the border with Gaza over the past few days, raising suspicion about the possibility of a ground attack on Gaza.
In six days of Israeli airstrikes against Gaza, at least 1,537 Palestinians, including 500 children and 276 women, were killed, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry.
Moreover, residents in Gaza are facing worsening living conditions. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) warned that food and water in Gaza would run out very soon, plunging the besieged enclave into "a devastating situation".
"We are seeing shortages of fuel, water and electricity. We are seeing overcrowded shelters," the agency wrote in a post on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has issued a statement confirming its engagement with both Hamas and Israel in an effort to facilitate negotiations for the release of approximately 150 hostages who were abducted to Gaza days ago.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Thursday, pledging support and more weapon deliveries for Israel's efforts in combating Hamas.
In a live broadcast statement, Blinken said more shipments of US arms were "on the way".
Earlier this week, the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, including an aircraft carrier, arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea "in order to deter any actor seeking to escalate the situation or widen this war", said the US Central Command in a statement. A second US aircraft carrier is heading to the Mediterranean for a "long-scheduled deployment", according to the White House on Wednesday, while a US cargo plane carrying the first shipment of advanced weaponry had landed in the country.
Lambasting that "Hamas should be treated exactly the way ISIS was treated", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the international community to cut ties with Hamas.
Blinken also met with Israel's wartime cabinet, which brought Benny Gantz, Israel's former defense minister and leader of the center-right National Unity Party to Netanyahu's nationalist-religious coalition government.
The cabinet was formed as the Hamas-Israel conflict was heightened. The Israeli Air Force carried out "a wave of strikes" targeting the Nukhba elite forces of Hamas, striking operational command centers used by operatives who infiltrated the communities in southern Israel on Saturday, according to a statement released by the Israeli military.
Besides, Israeli missile strikes targeted both international airports in Syria's capital Damascus, and its northern province of Aleppo on Thursday, rendering the airports temporarily out of service.
The Syrian army said in a statement that the attacks are diversionary tactics of Israel to shift attention away from its ongoing operations in Gaza.
The attacks came as Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is scheduled to visit Syria on Friday, adding to the explosive situation in the region.
Also on Thursday, occasional firing of rockets at towns and villages in southern Israel continued, sending hundreds of thousands of residents to seek shelter. At least four individuals sustained serious-to-moderate injuries, according to Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service.
The number of fatalities in Israel since the beginning of Hamas' surprise attack has reached at least 1,300, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported.
Efforts to recover more bodies in southern Israel were underway, and, according to Israeli authorities, the identification process has been slow due to the condition of the bodies.
Consequence of conflict warned as UN figures show 250,000 displaced
Both the Israeli and Palestinian sides are urged to return to negotiations and stop the weeklong bloodshed and humanitarian disasters.
The Arab League on Wednesday called on Israel to end its siege of the Gaza Strip while Israel formed a unity government and a war cabinet.
The Arabian appeal was made during the 22-member regional organization's emergency meeting in Cairo. They also warned that the conflict could spiral out of control and urged international parties to sponsor genuine peace consultations and develop a road map with a timetable.
At least 2,500 people have died on the Israeli and Palestinian sides, The Associated Press reported. The Arab foreign ministers condemned the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians and pushed for the release of hostages, detainees, and prisoners.
Moreover, United Nations figures showed more than 250,000 people have now been displaced or have lost their homes in Gaza.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Thursday that China supports the Arab League to play a key role in the Palestinian issue, saying China and Arab countries share a similar position on the issue.
Both sides call for a cease-fire and to end the violence as soon as possible, and condemn actions against civilians to prevent further escalation of the situation and ensuing humanitarian disasters, Wang said.
He reiterated that the root cause of the recurrence of the conflict is that the peace process in the Middle East has derailed from the right track, the foundation of the two-state solution has been undermined, and relevant United Nations resolutions have not been effectively implemented.
China stands ready to maintain communication and coordination with all parties, including the Arab League, to actively facilitate peace talks and make relentless efforts to bring the peace process in the Middle East back on the right track, he said.
'Clogged political horizon'
Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, the secretary-general of the Arab League, said the current crisis was created by the longtime "clogged political horizon" and the expansion of Israeli settlements, which limited the chances for peace through the UN-recognized two-state solution.
China has no selfish agenda on the Palestinian issue, and sincerely hopes that Israelis and Palestinians can live together in peace, China's Special Envoy on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun said on Thursday.
During a phone conversation with Rafi Harpaz, the deputy director-general in charge of Asia-Pacific affairs of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhai said China stays firm on the side of peace and justice, and is willing to work with the international community to promote peace talks between the two sides so as to create conditions for peace.
Harpaz said Israel will make all-out efforts to protect Chinese citizens in the country.
Israel formed a unity government and a war cabinet on Wednesday to oversee the conflict. The new cabinet brings former defense minister and leader of the centrist-right National Unity Party Benny Gantz to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government.
US President Joe Biden has talked with Netanyahu and declared support for Israel. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has embarked on a multicountry Middle East tour. Blinken landed in Israel on Thursday. After Israel, Blinken was expected to head to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Reuters reported.
The first US aircraft carrying ammunition for Israel arrived in the country on Tuesday, Xinhua reported.
Israel and Hamas traded more fire on Thursday in Gaza, Agence France-Presse reported.
Wang confirmed on Thursday that three Chinese nationals were killed, two are missing and several were injured in the Palestine-Israel conflict. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of the victims, and extend deep condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families and the injured," Wang told a daily news conference.
The Chinese diplomatic missions are doing everything they can to coordinate efforts to treat the injured and deal with the follow-up work, Wang said.
Agencies contributed to this story.
JERUSALEM -- The number of fatalities in Israel since the beginning of Hamas' surprise attack has reached at least 1,300, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported on Thursday.
Over 3,268 people were injured, and 443 of them are still in hospitals, the Israeli Health Ministry said.
Attempts to find bodies in southern towns and villages continued on Thursday, Israeli authorities said.
In Gaza, more than 1,200 individuals have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.
JERUSALEM -- Israel has killed a senior member of the Hamas naval force in an airstrike overnight, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Thursday morning.
The IDF killed Muhammed Abu Shamala, a senior member of the Rafah Brigade in the Hamas naval force, and destroyed his house, which was used to store weapons to be used in operations against Israel, according to the statement.
The Israeli army also struck multiple sites belonging to the commando force of Hamas, it added.
Since the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians broke out, civilian casualties caused by the conflict have been a focus of the international community.
China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning responded to inquiries on Monday regarding the kidnapping of a woman during her attendance at a music festival in southern Israel.
China Daily reached out on Tuesday to Li Chonghong, also known as Liora Argamani, the girl's mother, to gain an account of the incident.
A short video circulated on China's social media Weibo showing a young woman, identified as Noa Argamani, being taken away from an outdoor music festival in southern Israel on a motorcycle. The video showed she "was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza".
On Monday, another video on Weibo showed Noa's father being interviewed by Israeli media. Visibly distressed, the Israeli man confirmed that the girl in the video was his daughter.
Li is from Wuhan, China. She came to Israel for a professional training program in the 1990s and has lived in Israel for over 30 years. She lives with her Israeli husband in the city of Beer Sheva in the southern part of the country.
Li, 61, said that her 25-year-old daughter Noa was born in Israel and her nationality is Israeli. Noa had visited China with her mother before.
"Oct 12 will be Noa's 26th birthday. We are trying to be optimistic and are all praying that Noa can return safely and celebrate her birthday with us," Shlomit Marciano, Noa's childhood friend, told China Daily.
Li said she has not heard from her daughter since their dinner together on Friday, and that there are no channels available for her to seek help.
The ongoing conflict has brought great suffering to people there, including Noa's family.
"The whole family is in great agony. We are praying together for Noa to come home safely," Li said.
Marciano said Noa went to the music festival together with friends.
"More than 160 people were taken away by Hamas alongside Noa and her boyfriend, including residents in the border area and those who attended the musical festival," Marciano said.
"We don't know what happened to Noa. We are worried and saddened, and we don't know what will happen. We are counting on getting any help possible," Marciano said.
Global impact
The conflict has had a global impact, with several countries reporting their citizens being killed, abducted or missing.
CCTV World Express posted on its Weibo account that a Chinese worker was injured by a stray bullet near Ashkelon in southern Israel on Saturday and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Chinese media outlet Yangcheng Evening News reported that according to a local Chinese organization in Israel, at least three Chinese nationals were shot amid the conflict, while the whereabouts of another four Chinese remain unknown so far.
China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it is in the process of verifying information on Chinese nationals harmed in the conflict.
"Based on what we have learned, the Chinese nationals who have been wounded are being treated in hospital and their conditions are generally stable," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular news conference on Tuesday.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, China has expressed that it opposes and condemns violence against civilians in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
CAIRO - Arab foreign ministers on Wednesday called for an immediate halt of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict and the revival of the stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
In the final communique of an Arab League (AL) extraordinary meeting at the level of foreign ministers held in Cairo, the top Arab diplomats urged all parties to exercise self-restraint and warned of "the catastrophic humanitarian and security repercussions" of further escalation.
They emphasized the necessity of lifting the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip and immediately providing humanitarian aid, food, and fuel to Gazans.
The meeting was held on the fifth day of the deadly conflict that erupted between the Hamas militant group, which controls Gaza, and Israel. The conflict has left more than 2,000 people killed and thousands more injured on both sides.
The Arab foreign ministers condemned the killing of civilians on both sides, whether they were Palestinians or Israelis.
They also stressed the necessity of releasing relevant civilian hostages, detainees, and prisoners.
They said they will work with the international community for an urgent and active action to achieve de-escalation, according to the communique.
Participants of the meeting urged the Arab states and the rest of the interactional community to provide sufficient financial support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) at such a critical time.
"The way to guarantee security and stability in the region is to achieve just, permanent, and comprehensive peace that meets all the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people," the Arab foreign ministers underlined.
AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said earlier during the opening session that the current crisis was created by the long-time "clogged political horizon" and the continuous construction of Israeli settlements, which limited the chances for peace through the internationally recognized two-state solution.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki emphasized the need to re-establish the political framework for resolving the conflict. He advocated for the revival of the peace process through a genuine political negotiation between the two sides, saying negotiation is the right way to attain security, stability, and prosperity in the region.
The extraordinary AL ministerial meeting was chaired by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, who urged international parties "to sponsor real consultations to revive the peace process".
He called on the international community to develop "a roadmap with practical goals, including a timetable" for serious and purposeful negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis in order to agree on a final formula for resolving the Palestinian issue.
UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned against the spillover of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"We must avoid spillover of the conflict. I am concerned about the recent exchange of fire along the Blue Line (between Israel and Lebanon) and recent reported attacks from southern Lebanon," he told a press briefing. "I appeal to all parties -- and those who have an influence over those parties -- to avoid any further escalation and spillover."
Guterres called for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Civilians must be protected at all times. International humanitarian law must be respected and upheld, said the UN chief.
About 220,000 Palestinians are now sheltering in 92 facilities run by the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees across Gaza. UN premises and all hospitals, schools and clinics must never be targeted, he said.
Crucial life-saving supplies, including fuel, food and water, must be allowed into Gaza. There is a need for rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access, he said.
Guterres thanked Egypt for its constructive engagement to facilitate humanitarian access through Rafah, the sole crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, and to make the El Arish airport available for critical assistance.
Israel has imposed a "complete siege" of Gaza following Hamas attacks on Israel over the weekend.
JERUSALEM/GAZA - Israel formed a unity government and a war cabinet on Wednesday to oversee the deadly conflict triggered by Hamas' weekend surprise attack as it continued to launch airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip.
The new war cabinet brings former defense minister and leader of the centrist-right National Unity party Benny Gantz to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nationalist-religious coalition government. Members of the wartime cabinet also include Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The formation of the war cabinet comes amid increasing public criticism in Israel against Netanyahu and his government, who were blamed for failing to adequately preparing and foreseeing Saturday's attack, as well as amid rising speculation that Israel would launch a ground offensive in Gaza soon.
Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) waged a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, which included the firing of thousands of rockets and the infiltration ground attacks on the Israeli towns bordering Gaza.
In response, Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. The ongoing conflict, as it entered the fifth day, has taken a heavy toll on both sides, with the death toll in Israel and Gaza rising to at least 1,200 and 1,100, respectively.
In addition to the retaliatory strikes, Israel has also ordered "a full siege" of Gaza, cutting the supply of electricity, food and water to the coastal enclave.
Fighting continued on Wednesday, with Israeli airstrikes continued to demolish neighborhoods in the blockaded enclave, while militants in Gaza continued to fire rockets towards southern and northern Israel. The Israeli army also reported several infiltrations of gunmen in which at least five militants were killed.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said on Wednesday that four of its paramedics were killed during Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported the loss of eleven employees in the Gaza Strip since the weekend.
According to United Nations figures, some 250,000 people were displaced or lost their homes in Gaza. The Palestinian Energy Ministry said the only power plant in Gaza ran out of fuel. The Health Ministry in Gaza said in a statement Wednesday all hospital beds in the Palestinian enclave had been occupied, and medicines were about to run out as the conflict continued.
To resolve the conflict, an Arab League (AL) extraordinary meeting at the level of foreign ministers was held in Cairo on Wednesday. Participants of the meeting called for an immediate halt of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict and the revival of the stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
In the final communique of the meeting, the top Arab diplomats urged all parties to exercise self-restraint, warning of "the catastrophic humanitarian and security repercussions" of further escalation.
They also emphasized the necessity of lifting the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza and immediately providing humanitarian aid, food, and fuel to the people there.
Egypt said Wednesday it is in discussions with the United States and other countries to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza through a temporary ceasefire. The aid would be sent through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
Cease-fire sought as casualties in conflict mount
China's call for cease-fire and dialogue for final resolution of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is in line with UN resolutions, and aims to break the cycle of destruction and disaster in the Middle East, experts say.
Casualties keep climbing amid intense Israeli strikes against Gaza Strip targets and firing of rockets by Hamas and other militant groups, despite Hamas saying it is open to a "political dialogue "for a truce.
China's position has always been on the side of equity and justice in the conflict, and has been consistent on the coexistence of Israel and Palestine state in accordance with the provisions of the Oslo Accords and UN resolutions, said Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, executive director of the Center for South Asia and International Studies in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Oslo Accords are a set of pacts between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, or PLO.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1397 (2002) affirms "a vision of a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders".
On Wednesday, Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun had a phone call with First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine Amal Jadou on the Palestine-Israel situation.
Zhai said the immediate priority is to achieve an immediate cease-fire and protect civilians, adding the international community should play an effective role in jointly stabilizing the situation and providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a news briefing on Tuesday: "China will maintain communication with all parties and continue to work for peace and stability in the Middle East."
On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said: "To end the cycle of conflict between Palestine and Israel, it is essential to restart the peace talks, implement the two-state solution, and settle the Palestine question fully and properly through political means at an early date so as to take care of each party's legitimate concerns."
The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine, China's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
"The world must play an immediate role in de-escalating the conflict through mediation and dialogue and reaffirming support for a two-state solution," said Khalid Taimur Akram, executive director of the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future in Islamabad.
He noted China has called for all parties to exercise restraint, protect civilians, and immediately cease fire, and it condemned attacks against civilians and emphasized the importance of preventing further casualties, advocating a return to the peace process.
According to Akram, rather than de-escalating the conflict, the United States inadvertently fueled the situation in the region.
China has called upon the UN Security Council to take the necessary steps to promote dialogue, achieve a cease-fire, and restore peace in the region, he added.
Under threat again
The Middle East is again under threat of further division and destruction, said Khan. "Right from the beginning, the Chinese leadership emphasized… dialogue, diplomacy, and development to resolve this frozen conflict, which has now become fatal," he said.
Mutual respect, the granting of political sovereignty, and economic liberalization are the only way forward, Khan said, noting that ongoing conflict will further lead to radicalization, terrorism, political instability, and social disharmony in the region.
The Israeli government and the PLO agreed on a plan to implement a two-state solution as part of the Oslo Accords in 1993. Former Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid stated during the UN General Assembly's 77th session in 2022 that "a large majority of Israelis support the vision of the two-state solution".
Imtiaz Gul, executive director of the Center for Research and Security Studies in Pakistan, said China has made it clear it does not want to interfere in the internal matters of any country but it also desires an equitable, just resolution of all the problems, including those of the Palestinians who deserve an independent sovereign state, said Gul.
The crisis will have a spillover effect around the world and could even exacerbate other conflicts, said Karori Singh, former director and emeritus fellow of the South Asia Studies Centre at India's University of Rajasthan.
"Oil prices have already surged immediately after the conflict," Singh noted. "Obviously, it is leading to a humanitarian crisis."
The death toll from five days of fighting between Hamas and Israel rose sharply overnight as Israel kept up its bombardment of Gaza on Wednesday.
In Israel, the death toll rose to 1,200, making it the deadliest attack in the country's history, while Gaza officials reported more than 900 people killed as Israel pounded the territory with airstrikes.
Agencies contributed to this story.
GAZA/JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON/TEHRAN/GABORONE - The death toll and injuries from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip rose to 830 and 4,250, respectively, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, at least 1,008 individuals have been killed in Israel since Hamas launched a surprise attack on the country on Saturday, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported on Tuesday.
The intense conflict, as it entered the fourth day, has left heavy casualties on both sides.
GAZA/JERUSALEM - Israel intensified on Tuesday its airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and bolstered its forces along the border, the fourth day of one of the most intense clashes between Israel and Hamas militants in decades.
In retaliation, Hamas has launched barrages of rockets targeting central Israel, including Tel Aviv. Many recreational sites and shops in Tel Aviv have remained closed since the conflict began. As night fell, rockets were fired at Ashkelon, prompting residents to seek shelter.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, reported that the IDF has regained control over most of the southern region that was infiltrated by Hamas militants on Saturday during a surprise attack.
However, clashes are still ongoing. Armed Palestinian militants continue infiltrating Israel. The IDF confirmed that two Palestinian militants, who apparently crossed into Israel during Saturday's attack and were in hiding, were killed in a firefight. Four armed militants also infiltrated Israel's southern shore at Zikim and were killed in an exchange of fire.
Israel's Education Ministry has announced that schools across the country, which have been shut down since the beginning of the conflict, will remain closed on Wednesday.
The conflict has taken a heavy toll on both sides. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported on Tuesday that the death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza has risen to 900, with 4,500 injuries. Meanwhile, at least 1,008 individuals have been killed in Israel since Saturday, as reported by Israel's state-owned Kan TV news.
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has vowed to exact "mighty revenge" and approved a call-up of an additional 60,000 reservists, bringing the total number mobilized to a record 360,000, setting the stage for a possible ground offensive.
Israel's military also targeted Hamas officials, killing Hamas' Economy Minister Jawad Abu Shamala, and another senior official, Zakaria Abu Muammar.
In Gaza, Israel continues its massive airstrikes and has halted the supply of water, electricity, and food. The United Nations reports that at least 200,000 Palestinians have been displaced, with more than 120,000 taking shelter in U.N. schools under challenging conditions with limited access to essential resources.
The Israel-Lebanon border has also seen an escalation, with the Israeli military responding to rocket barrages from Lebanon with retaliatory artillery fire. Schools near the volatile border in southern Lebanon remained closed.
Earlier in the day, Israeli airstrikes hit the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, disrupting the delivery of humanitarian aid. Negotiations between the United Nations and Egyptian officials are ongoing to ensure aid can flow through the crossing, with Egypt seeking assurances from Israel and the United States.
As a crucial negotiator between Israel and Palestine, Egypt has been ramping up efforts to de-escalate the conflict.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi warned Tuesday that the ongoing military escalation is "very dangerous" and could have repercussions for regional security and stability.
He emphasized Egypt's commitment to a two-state solution and urged negotiations for a just peace and an independent Palestinian state.
Also on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud pledged ongoing support for the Palestinian people and efforts to prevent further escalation, in a phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Meanwhile, the Arab League has announced an emergency meeting for Wednesday. Foreign ministers from Arab League member countries will convene to discuss strategies aimed at de-escalating the conflict and preventing additional harm to civilians.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss measures to ease tensions and voiced concerns over targeting civilian settlements.
Both Erdogan and Putin expressed deep concern over civilian casualties on both sides of the conflict and reiterated the need for "an immediate ceasefire" and for "the resumption of the negotiation process"
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dismissed on Tuesday allegations of his country's involvement in the attacks conducted by Palestinian resistance groups against Israel, stating that such accusations are "nonsensical."
JERUSALEM - The first American aircraft carrying ammunition arrived in Israel on Tuesday night to help the country in its ongoing conflict with Gaza's ruling faction, Hamas, and militants in Lebanon, Israel's military said.
The plane landed at the Nevatim Airbase in Israel's southern Negev Desert, carrying "advanced ammunition," Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a statement.
Also on Tuesday, the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea "in order to deter any actor seeking to escalate the situation or widen this war," the US Central Command said in a statement.
JERUSALEM - Israel's army said Tuesday that it holds about 1,500 bodies of Hamas militants found in Israel on the fourth day of unprecedented battles with Hamas.
"Approximately 1,500 bodies of Hamas (militants) were found in Israel around the Gaza Strip," Richard Hecht, Israeli Defence Forces's international spokesperson said in a briefing to reporters.
Hecht said security forces had "more or less restored control" over the area of the security fence around Gaza, which was breached on Saturday by Hamas militants. He added that 35 battalions were deployed in the area around the coastal Palestinian enclave.
The evacuation of residents of communities adjacent to the border had been "nearly completed," he added.
At least 900 people have been killed in Israel, while about 130 civilians and soldiers are being held hostage in Gaza, according to Israeli state media and armed groups in the enclave.
UNITED NATIONS -- More than 123,000 people have been internally displaced in Gaza as a result of ongoing Israeli attacks, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Monday.
Israeli airstrikes and shelling have hit houses and apartment buildings, with four large residential towers in Gaza City destroyed. Six healthcare workers have been killed and four others injured, with seven healthcare facilities and nine ambulances damaged, said the office.
Damage to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities has undermined services to more than 400,000 people in Gaza. The Gaza Power Plant is now the only source of electricity and could run out of fuel within days, it warned.
The UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) estimates that more than half of those displaced are sheltering in dozens of schools. UNRWA has designated emergency shelters to host them and provide critical aid, said the office.
Cash assistance is also urgently needed for both displaced people and host communities in Gaza. Humanitarian partners are working to provide dignity kits and psychosocial support for affected families, it added.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has begun distributing food for up to 100,000 internally displaced people in Gaza, who are seeking refuge in UNRWA shelters, with fresh bread and canned food, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
In the next few days, the WFP plans on starting to roll out assistance to up to 800,000 people with food and cash assistance as the situation develops, provided the necessary funding is made available. The WFP needs 16.8 million U.S. dollars to reach 805,000 people in the next month, he told a daily press briefing.
The aid was from pre-positioned supplies, which are not endless. At some point in the not-too-distant future, the world body will run out of supplies unless more can come in, warned the spokesman.
Guterres on Monday said he was deeply distressed by Israel's announcement that it would initiate a complete siege of the Gaza Strip, with nothing allowed in - no electricity, food, or fuel.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza was extremely dire even before the sudden escalation of violence over the weekend. Now it would only deteriorate exponentially, he warned at a press conference.
Medical equipment, food, fuel and other humanitarian supplies are desperately needed, along with access for humanitarian personnel. Relief and entry of essential supplies into Gaza must be facilitated, he said. "I urge all sides and the relevant parties to allow United Nations access to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians trapped and helpless in the Gaza Strip. I appeal to the international community to mobilize immediate humanitarian support for this effort."
An UNRWA school sheltering displaced families was directly hit over the weekend. The school was severely damaged and was housing about 225 people, though no casualties were recorded among the displaced, said Dujarric, the spokesman.
All UNRWA schools across the Gaza Strip are closed. More than 300,000 students are impacted, he said.
Dujarric said UNRWA has 13,000 staff members in Gaza, the vast majority of them are national staff.
The UNRWA staff are not able to leave Gaza. They are focused on trying to do whatever they can to help the population within their mandate, said the spokesman.
