Israel-Palestine conflict LIVE updates | Death toll soars above 1,100 in war with Hamas

Israel’s port of Ashkelon and its oil terminal have been shut in the wake of the conflict between Israel and Islamist group Hamas, shipping and trade sources said on Monday.

– Reuters

Oil prices are climbing, and stocks are slipping Monday as violence in the Middle East injects more unease into financial markets.

The S&P 500 was 0.5% lower in its first trading since Hamas launched a surprise attack over the weekend against Israel, which then formally declared war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 137 points, or 0.4%, as of 10:50 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.9% lower.

The area under conflict is not home to major oil production, but fears that the fighting could spill into the politics around the crude market sent a barrel of U.S. oil up 4.2% to $86.23. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 4% to $88.00 per barrel. – AP

An Israeli official dismissed on Monday reports of a possible prisoner swap between Israel and the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.

“There are no negotiations under way,” the Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

Palestinian Islamist group Hamas is not open to negotiating a prisoner exchange with Israel during hostilities, a member of the militants’ political office in Doha said on October 9.

“The military operation is still continuing… therefore there is currently no chance for negotiation on the issue of prisoners or anything else,” Hossam Badran, a Hamas official, told AFP from Doha.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has extended the U.K.’s steadfast support to Israel in the face of a terrorist attack from Hamas and reassured his Israeli counterpart of the safety of the Jewish community in the UK, as the police in London recorded some offences as a fallout of the conflict in the Middle East.

During a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, Downing Street said Sunak reaffirmed that the U.K. stands with Israel “unequivocally” against the “deadly acts of terror”.

At least eight French nationals were missing, dead or taken hostage after Hamas’ weekend attack on Israel, a lawmaker said Monday.

But the foreign ministry confirmed the deaths of only two citizens in a statement. – AFP

The European Commission said on Monday it was putting all its development aid to Palestinians, worth 691 million euros ($729 million), under review and immediately suspending all payments following Hamas’ attack on Israel.

“The scale of terror and brutality against Israel and its people is a turning point,” Oliver Varhelyi, the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, said in a post on social media. “There can be no business as usual.” – Reuters

Shocked volunteers spoke on Monday of their horrific work recovering the bodies of up to 250 young Israeli and foreign party-goers gunned down by Hamas militants at a usually joyful music festival near the Gaza border.

Thousands of music-lovers had danced through the night at the Supernova festival in a remote area of southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip.

But the revellers turned to tragedy at dawn on Saturday when more than 1,000 Hamas militants crossed the Gaza border into Israel and overran frontier communities under the cover of a barrage of rocket fire. – AFP

The World Bank on Monday told staff it was gravely concerned about the “shocking escalation” of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the fighting cast a pall over the start of the bank’s annual meetings with the International Monetary Fund in Morocco.

An internal World Bank memo seen by Reuters cited a “devastating loss of life, destruction and heavy toll on civilians being incurred on both sides,” but voiced support for the lender’s work in Gaza and the West Bank.

Israeli soldiers “killed a number of armed suspects” who crossed the border from Lebanon, the country’s military said Monday as further south it fought a devastating war with Gaza militants.

“Additionally, IDF (Israeli army) helicopters are currently striking in the area,” an army statement said. – AFP

“India as a friend of both Israel and Palestine should intervene in the conflict and push Israel through the international community to make it accept first of all a ceasefire and implement the two-state solution.” – Palestinian Ambassador Adnan Abu Alhaijaa to The Hindu.

– Kallol Bhattacherjee

The United States on October 9 confirmed the deaths of nine citizens in the war between Israel and Hamas with more unaccounted for, amid fears they were taken captive.

“At this time, we can confirm the deaths of nine U.S. citizens,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. – AFP

Major airlines have suspended flights to Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas.

American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines suspended service as the U.S. State Department issued travel advisories for the region citing potential for terrorism and civil unrest. – AP

Israel’s response to the unprecedented multi-pronged attack by Palestinian gunmen from the Gaza Strip will “change the Middle East,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on October 9.

He was speaking to mayors of southern border towns hit by the surprise assault that began on Saturday, a statement from his office said. It did not elaborate on his prediction. – Reuters

Israel’s military said it deployed troops against a suspected infiltration from Lebanon on Monday.

“A report was received regarding the infiltration of a number of suspects into Israeli territory from Lebanese territory. IDF soldiers are deployed in the area,” the military said in a statement.

– Reuters

At least 560 Palestinians have been killed and 2,900 wounded in Israeli air strikes on the blockaded enclave since Saturday, said Gaza’s Health Ministry.

– Reuters

Israel has suspended production at the Tamar gas field off its southern coast and will seek alternative fuel sources to meet its needs, the energy ministry said on Monday following three days of violence in the region.

Chevron, which operates the field, confirmed it had been instructed by the ministry to shut down the field, which is a major source of gas to Israel’s power generators and industry.

The move comes after Hamas gunmen burst across the fence from Gaza on Saturday in the deadliest incursion into Israeli territory since Egypt and Syria’s attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago.

Some of Tamar’s gas is also exported to neighbouring Jordan and Egypt.

– Reuters

Amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Congress Working Committee Monday reiterated its long-standing support for the rights of the Palestinian people to land, self-government and to live with dignity while also calling for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations on all outstanding issues.

In a resolution passed at its four-hour meeting, the Congress’ top decision-making body said the CWC expresses its dismay and anguish on the war that has broken out in the Middle East where over a thousand people have been killed in the last two days.

“The CWC reiterates its long-standing support for the rights of the Palestinian people to land, self-government and to live with dignity and respect,” the resolution said.

– PTI

Israeli air strikes on Gaza have killed four “prisoners” held by Hamas, said Monday the Palestinian militant group whose fighters carried out a surprise attack on Israel over the weekend.

“The occupation’s bombing last night and today on the Gaza Strip led to the killing of four of the enemy’s prisoners,” the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said on its website.

Dozens of people are being held hostage by the militants after they carried out the attack in southern Israel on Saturday morning.

– AFP

Britain supports Israel’s right to take proportionate action that is within international law to bring an end to violence, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said on Monday, following Israeli retaliation to a shock attack by Hamas militants.

“We support Israel exercising its right to self defence and to taking proportionate action to bring an end to the violence,” the spokesman told reporters. “In situations like this they can take proportionate action … acting within international laws.”

The spokesman said there were no plans to redeploy British military assets to the region, but noted there was already a British warship in the Mediterranean carrying out NATO duties and Britain has an air force base in Cyprus.

– Reuters

The World Bank on Monday told its staff it was gravely concerned about the “shocking escalation” of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since Saturday and hoped for a rapid de-escalation of the conflict.

The memo, a copy of which was viewed by Reuters, cited what it called “devastating loss of life, destruction and heavy toll on civilians being incurred on both sides.”

“We hope for a rapid de-escalation of the conflict and end to the violence. The World Bank and our development partners have long worked to support the poorest, most vulnerable people in the West Bank and Gaza, and we remain committed to building the foundations for a more stable and sustainable future.”

– Reuters

Will Hamas achieve anything for the Palestinian cause from its attack on Israel? If the Yom Kippur war was fought between national Armies, here, Israel is facing an Islamist militant group. Also, if, in 1973, the fighting mostly took place in Sinai and Golan — territories captured and occupied by Israel — Hamas launched attacks into Israeli towns on its southern border and fired thousands of rocket s, killing some 700 Israelis, including many civilians.

Read more here…

Qatari mediators have held urgent calls with Hamas officials to try to negotiate freedom for Israeli women and children seized by the militant group and held in Gaza in exchange for the release of 36 Palestinian women and children from Israel’s prisons, a source told Reuters.

The negotiations, which Qatar has been conducting in coordination with the United States since Saturday night, are “moving positively” said the source, who has been briefed on the talks. But there are no signs of breakthroughs as both sides dig in.

Qatar has been in touch with Hamas officials in Doha and Gaza, the source said, since the Islamist group launched a assault from Gaza, storming into Israeli towns, killing more than 700 Israelis and escaping with dozens of hostages.

Reuters

Thailand is working with Jordan, Egypt and Malaysia to secure the release of its citizens taken hostage during unrest in Israel, as over 1,000 Thai migrant workers caught in the conflict look to return home, a deputy foreign minister said on Monday.

A dozen Thai nationals were killed, nine wounded and 11 more kidnapped, Thailand’s government said, when Hamas militants burst across the fence from Gaza on a rampage that killed at least 700 Israelis. Dozens of people have been taken hostage.

“We are coordinating with countries that have links to the country that have taken our nationals hostage to negotiate for their release,” Jakkapong Sangmanee, told a press briefing.

Negotiations towards securing the release of the Thai hostages was “very positive”, Jakkapong said, without elaborating.

Some 1,400 Thais have signed up to be evacuated, he said, adding the first group to return home would be those injured.

Around 30,000 Thai nationals work in Israel, making up one of the largest migrant worker groups in the country, where fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas gunmen are still ongoing in several locations.

Reuters

Moscow and the Arab League will work to “stop the bloodshed” in Israel and Gaza, the Russian foreign minister said Monday as he met the group’s chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Aboul Gheit was in Moscow for talks after the massive assault on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

“I am sure that Russia and the Arab League (will cooperate) above all else to stop the bloodshed,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Lavrov said it was necessary to “urgently stop clashes, solve the problem with civilians… and establish a reason why there is no solution (to the Israel-Palestinian conflict).”

AFP

Egypt has been in close contact with Israel and Hamas to try to prevent further escalation in fighting between them and ensure the protection of Israelis taken hostage by Palestinian militants, two Egyptian security sources said on Monday.

Egypt had urged Israel to exercise restraint and Hamas to hold its captives in good condition to keep open the possibility of de-escalation soon, although successive Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip made mediation difficult, said the sources, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.

Reuters

An Indian woman working as a caregiver in Ashkelon was injured when the Palestinian militant group Hamas fired a barrage of rockets on the Israel’s northern city, sources said on Monday.

The woman, identified as Sheeja Anand from Kerala, suffered injuries in her hands and leg on Saturday and was immediately provided treatment at a nearby hospital, sources said.

She was later shifted to another hospital for recuperation and her condition was stable, they added.

The Indian mission reached out to her for support and has been in touch with her family in the Kannur district of Kerala.

“Her family has been informed, and we are in constant contact both with Ms. Sheeja and her family,” an embassy source said.

There is no reason for any concern at the moment, informed sources told PTI.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant Monday ordered a “complete siege” on the Gaza Strip as the military pounded the Palestinian territory with air strikes.

“We are putting a complete siege on Gaza… No electricity, no food, no water, no gas — it’s all closed,” Mr. Gallant said in a video message, referring to the enclave that is overcrowded with 2.3 million people.

“We are fighting animals and are acting accordingly,” Mr. Gallant said in Hebrew.

AFP

German development aid pledged to the Palestinian territories this year and next is being temporarily suspended while the funds are under comprehensive review, a development ministry spokesperson said in Berlin on Monday.

The German development ministry has pledged around 125 million euros ($131.63 million) in bilateral development cooperation for the Palestinian territories for this and next year, added the spokesperson.

Reuters

Twelve Thais have been killed in the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, the kingdom’s government said Monday, as it prepared a plan to evacuate its citizens.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke said the Thai embassy in Israel learned of the deaths from the victims’ employers.

She said a further eight Thais had been wounded and 11 taken captive since the war erupted when Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Saturday.

There are around 30,000 Thai workers in Israel, according to Bangkok’s labour ministry, many of them working in agriculture.

Labour minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said Israeli forces had begun to move about 5,000 Thais working in the danger zones to safety.

AFP

Israel has drafted a record 300,000 reservists in its response to a multi-front Hamas attack from Gaza and is “going on the offensive,” the chief military spokesperson said on Monday.

Chief military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari said control of those communities had been re-established but that isolated clashes continued as some gunmen remained active.

“We are now carrying out searches in all of the communities and clearing the area,” he said in a televised briefing.

Mr. Hagari said 300,000 reservists have been called up by the military since Saturday, a number suggesting preparations for a possible invasion — though any such plans have not been officially confirmed.

Reuters

The Kremlin said on Monday its embassy had no information yet on how many Russian citizens in Israel might have been hurt or killed there after Hamas gunmen burst across the fence from Gaza on a deadly weekend rampage.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking at a regular news briefing, said Moscow was extremely concerned about the situation in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, adding that events there posed a “great danger” to the wider region.

Reuters

The United Arab Emirates is “appalled” that Israeli civilians were taken hostage in the Hamas assault near the Gaza Strip, a foreign ministry statement said.

“The ministry is appalled by reports that Israeli civilians have been abducted as hostages from their homes,” said the Arab Muslim country, which established relations with Israel in 2020.

AFP

Billionaire Gautam Adani’s Adani Ports, operator of the Haifa Port in northern Israel, said on Monday it is closely monitoring the conflict in Israel and is prepared with a business continuity plan

“We are closely monitoring the action on ground which is concentrated in South Israel, whereas Haifa port is situated in the North. We remain fully alert and prepared with a business continuity plan that will enable us to respond effectively to any eventuality,” Adani Ports said in a statement.

Haifa accounts for 3% of Adani’s total cargo volume, the company added.

The company’s stock was down 4% in Mumbai trading on Monday.

A consortium led by Adani completed the purchase of Haifa Port for 4 billion shekels ($1.02 billion) in January.

Reuters

The United Nations Human Rights Council stood in silence on Monday to remember the “innocent lives lost” in Israel and in Gaza, at the request of the United States.

“I respectfully request a moment of silence from this esteemed council, and all present here today to honour and remember the victims of these appalling terrorist attacks… innocent lives lost across Israel and Gaza resulting from the attacks by Hamas,” US ambassador Michele Taylor said in the top UN rights body, before delegates stood.

(AFP)

Iran on Monday rejected as unfounded allegations it had a role in the massive assault on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

“The accusations linked to an Iranian role… are based on political reasons,” foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani told reporters, adding that Palestinians had “the necessary capacity and will to defend their nation and recover their rights” without any help from Tehran.

(AFP)

India on Monday said it was watching carefully the ongoing conflict between Israel-Hamas and added it would handle its energy needs with “maturity”.

“India will handle it with maturity. As far as the energy sector is concerned, the place where the action is taking place is in many respects the centre of global energy. We will watch very carefully,” Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told reporters in New Delhi.

“We will navigate our way through this. These kinds of uncertainties only encourage people to sustainable and cleaner fuel,” Mr. Puri added.

Global crude oil prices moved in the northward direction on Monday, following the Israel-Hamas war that entered Day 3 with large fatalities on both sides. Brent crude, often considered the global benchmark, soared as high as about 5 per cent before some correction. At present, it is trading 2.53 per cent higher at USD 86.75 per cent. The WTI variant too was similarly high.

(ANI)

Austria is suspending its aid to Palestinians, totalling around 19 million euros ($20 million) for a handful of projects, in response to Islamist group Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said on Monday.

Neutral Austria’s ruling conservatives have adopted one of the most pro-Israel stances in the European Union in recent years. The Israeli flag has been hoisted above the chancellor’s office and the Foreign Ministry after the shock Hamas assault launched from the Gaza Strip on Saturday.

“The extent of the terror is so horrific … that we cannot go back to business as usual. We will therefore put all payments from Austrian development cooperation on ice for the time being,” Mr. Schallenberg told ORF radio in comments confirmed by a spokeswoman, adding the estimate of funds and projects affected.

(Reuters)

The Bank of Israel said on Monday it will sell up to $30 billion of foreign currency in the open market, in the central bank’s first ever sale of foreign exchange, to maintain stability during Israel’s war with Palestinian militants in Gaza.

The move appeared to quickly calm the market as the shekel recovered from steep early losses.

“The bank will operate in the market during the coming period in order to moderate volatility in the shekel exchange rate and to provide the necessary liquidity for the continued proper functioning of the markets,” it said in a statement.

The central bank also said it would provide liquidity through SWAP mechanisms in the market of up to $15 billion.

“The Bank of Israel will continue monitoring developments, tracking all the markets, and acting with the tools available to it as necessary,” it said.

(Reuters)

Spanish Acting Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Monday that the Hamas assault on Israel from the Gaza strip qualified as “terrorism”.

“Without a doubt, we are talking about terrorism and terrorist actions,” he said in an interview with Spanish radio Onda Cero.

He said his services would help Spanish nationals who are in Israel and wish to return to Spain.

Reuters

Ten Nepali students have been killed and four others injured in Israel after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a wave of rocket attacks in the country’s southern region, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said on October 9.

Hamas carried out a barrage of air strikes in Southern Israel on Saturday, killing more than 600 people, including soldiers, and wounding more than 1,900.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in response launched multiple attacks targeting Hamas’ key infrastructure. About 1,000 people have been killed in Israel and Gaza in the biggest escalation in decades between the two sides. Read more here…

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called on China to support Israel after deadly attacks by Hamas, adding he was “disappointed” that Beijing showed “no sympathy” for the country over the weekend.

Fighters from Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more as they attacked Israeli towns on Saturday, the deadliest incursion into Israeli territory since Egypt and Syria’s attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago.

Read more here…

Share prices were mixed on Monday after the Israeli government declared war following deadly attacks by Hamas from the Gaza Strip.

U.S. futures were lower and oil prices gained more than $3 a barrel.

Conflict in the Middle East often raises the specter of higher oil prices given the risk of disruptions to supplies.

AP

Israel intensified its bombardments of the Gaza Strip on Monday after declaring war and vowing to destroy the “military and governing capabilities” of the enclave’s Hamas rulers, as Israeli soldiers fought to dislodge Gaza gunmen from areas of southern Israel. AP

Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations Gilad Erdan in response to the deadly Hamas attack, said that “Hamas is a genocidal Islamist jihadist terror organization. It is no different than ISIS, Al Qaeda” adding that, they do not want dialogue and wants only the annihilation of the Jewish state.

“Hamas is a genocidal Islamist jihadist terror organization. It is no different than ISIS. It is no different than Al-Qaeda. There is no reasoning with genocidal jihadists. They do not want dialogue. They do not want conversation. They want one thing and one thing only the annihilation of the Jewish state,” he said.

ANI

“These terrorists broke into homes, shot people point blank as if they were stomping on insects”: Israel’s representative at UN.

ANI

The outdoor Tribe of Nova music festival was meant to be an all-night dance party in a rural area near the Gaza-Israel border, where thousand of young people would celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

But it became a site of deadly chaos when Hamas militants attacked the festival in the desert area early Saturday, killing an estimated 260 people. Terrified revelers tried to run and hide from the gunfire, according to an Israeli rescue organization, news outlets and accounts on social media.

The Israeli rescue service Zaka said paramedics have removed about 260 bodies from the music festival, with the figure expected to rise as teams continue working to clear the area. Festival organisers said in a statement on social media they were assisting security forces to help locate missing people who attended the event.

AP

China’s Hainan Airlines cancels flights between Shangai and Tel Aviv on Monday citing high tensions in Israel.

Reuters

Supporters of Israel and backers of the Palestinian cause held competing rallies in several American cities Sunday over the conflict that has killed hundreds and wounded thousands in the Middle East.

In New York City, a skirmish broke out between opposing demonstrators near the United Nations compound after a large group of Palestinian supporters rallied in Times Square. Palestinian Americans protested outside the Israeli consulates in Atlanta and Chicago. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a Jewish community gathering to support Israel at a synagogue in San Francisco.

The demonstrations and involvement of American political leaders show the far-reaching ramifications of a conflict that has already prompted the U.S. to order naval forces deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean, ready to assist Israel. Here’s what reaction around the country has looked like:

AP

Iran’s mission to the United Nations said on Sunday that Tehran was not involved in one of the bloodiest attacks in Israel’s history when Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more.

“The resolute measures taken by Palestine constitute a wholly legitimate defense against seven decades of oppressive occupation and heinous crimes committed by the illegitimate Zionist regime,” Iran’s U.N. mission said in statement.

Iran has made no secret of its backing for Hamas, funding and arming the group and another Palestinian militant organisation Islamic Jihad.

Reuters

Oil prices jumped more than $4 a barrel in early Asian trade on Monday, as dramatic military clashes between Israeli and Hamas forces over the weekend deepened political uncertainty across the Middle East.

Brent crude rose $4.18, or 4.94%, to $88.76 a barrel by 0120 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $87.02 a barrel, up $4.23, or 5.11%.

The surge in oil prices reversed last week’s downward trend – the largest weekly decline since March – in which Brent fell about 11% and WTI retreated more than 8% amid concerns about high interest rates and their impact on global demand. Read more ​here…​

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on October 9 he has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel after the attack by Hamas that has left more than 1,000 dead on both sides. Americans were reported to be among those killed and missing. Read more here…

Several U.S. nationals have died since the start of Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, a National Security Council spokesman said Sunday, adding that U.S. officials remained in touch with their Israeli counterparts.

Official word of Americans killed in the conflict came as Israel retaliated for the incursion, one of the bloodiest in it history, launching attacks on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

Reuters

Several international air carriers said on Sunday they had suspended flights serving Tel Aviv in light of the Hamas militant attack on Israel and were waiting for conditions to improve before resuming service.

U.S. air carriers United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines said they had suspended direct flights, as did Air France.

The U.S. air lines normally operate direct service from major U.S. metropolitan areas including New York, Chicago, Washington, DC and Miami.

Reuters

UNITED NATIONS The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting behind closed doors on October 8, with the United States demanding all 15 members strongly condemn “these heinous terrorist attacks committed by Hamas,” but they took no immediate action.

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood said afterwards that “a good number of countries” did condemn the Hamas attack but not all council members. He told reporters they could probably figure out one of them.

Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told The Associated Press the Americans tried to say during the meeting that Russia isn’t condemning the attacks, but “that’s untrue.”

“It was in my comments,” he said. “We condemn all the attacks on civilians.”

The Australian and New Zealand dollars skidded on Monday as the military conflict in the Middle East spurred demand for safe-haven assets, with local bonds getting a respite from selling pressure after a strong U.S. jobs report.

The Aussie fell 0.3% to $0.6366, having dropped 0.8% last week to a fresh 11-month low of $0.6286, pressured by a steep climb in Treasury yields. It now faces stiff resistance at 64 cents.

The kiwi dollar is also off 0.3% to $0.5969, after ending last week with a small decline of 0.2%. It has support at the $0.5860 low from early September, while resistance is around 60 cents.

Reuters

Here’s a collection of stories from The Hindu, that provide some context to the situation unfolding in Israel and Palestine:

• A creation of the first intifada, Hamas has risen from a charity in Gaza to a key, controversial force of the Palestinians’ fight against occupation. ​Read more on the Hamas group here…​

• The elusive leader of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, announced the beginning of what he called “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.” ​Who is Mohammed Deif?​

• Islam’s third holiest mosque has become a flashpoint of Israel-Palestinian crisis. ​Read more on the Al-Aqsa mosque here…​