v DPA:
German airline #Lufthansa plans to operate several special flights to #evacuate #German citizens from #Israel on Thursday and Friday, acc to German Foreign Office.

#France also plans to bring back nationals from Israel on a special flight this Thursday. Air France will operate the flight, says French For min
#Gaza #hamas

v Haaretz:
The meeting between PM #Netanyahu and Head of the National Unity party #Gantz to coordinate the formation of an emergency government has been postponed to Wednesday
AM due to the prolonged security cabinet session.

Joe Tidy, #BBC #Cyber correspondent: There are reports that #Israeli authorities have taken steps to disrupt #crypto donations to #Hamas
Hamas has been accepting cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum for ys; researchers have noticed spikes in funds during times of conflict.
Crypto donations have successfully raised millions over the years offering a way for people to donate anonymously without fear of breaking laws funding organisations designated as terrorists by some governments.

A leading British-#Palestinian war doctor has warned that the health system in #Gaza could “collapse within a week”. Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah told the #BBC "Having 3,000 wounded within 72 hours means the health system in Gaza will not cope…unless a humanitarian corridor is set up and aid is brought in"
“Because people are being injured in their homes, around 30-40% of the injuries are children." you cannot discharge them back to the street, and that’s where the system completely comes to a halt."

v Times of Israel:
The official text of US President Joe #Biden ’s October 10, 2023, speech pledging support for #Israel in the wake of #Hamas ’s October 7 atrocities.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/bidens-speech-hamas-unleashed-evil-well-ensure-israel-has-what-it-needs-to-respond/

BBC team reporting from #Israel

'Here in #Ashkelon , we were told this evening to head to safe rooms amid reports that #Hamas militants had crossed from #Gaza

The #Israeli military later put out a statement saying its soldiers, backed by air support, had "exchanged fire with a number of terrorists in the Ashkelon industrial area".

It said "three terrorists" had been killed, while searches of the area were continuing.

Numerous rockets have been launched at the city this evening'

Barbara Plett Usher BBC's US State Department correspondent:
There were animated exchanges at the State Dept media briefing about #Israel ’s decision to cut off electricity and supplies to #Gaza
'And criticism of the State Dept for not condemning extremist rhetoric from #Israeli lawmakers that indicated disregard for #Palestinian civilians trapped between #Hamas and Israel’s counter offensive.'

Spox Matthew Miller said the US expected that Israel wd act in accordance with international law.

Report on US State dept briefing:

'But “some of the questions seem to pretend that #Israel should not be able to conduct operations to defend itself" Miller said.

“We always mourn the loss of civilian life,” he shot back as one questioner suggested he was accepting “baby killing”.

“But the #Hamas terrorists who launched this terrorist attack knew it would produce the loss of #Palestinian civilian life. They ultimately bear the responsibility for those.”

The ICG's take on the current conflict:
https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/israelpalestine/second-october-war-israel
#Israel #Hamas #Gaza

Good morning from London, it is 9 AM in #Israel and #Gaza - a quick recap from my colleagues of what happened overnight:
The overall death toll has climbed to 2,100, with the death toll in Israel rising to 1,200 while officials in Gaza say 900 people have died

survivors in both Israel and Gaza describe the scale of devastation as something they have never experienced in the decades of conflict. In Israel, people have described the #Hamas attack as a massacre of civilians (cont.)

In #Gaza, a humanitarian worker told the #BBC that there is "nowhere safe" for people to go.

Dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets have struck more than 200 targets in the Al-Furqan neighborhood in Gaza, believed to be the hotspot from where #Hamas devises and executes their attacks. The #Israel Defense Forces #IDF say this is the third counterstrike in the area during the last 24 hours

US President Joe Biden condemned Hamas' unprecendented assault on Israel as “sheer evil”. (cont.)

The US is boosting military aid to #Israel - the first plane carrying US arms arrived in southern Israel on Tuesday evening

Josep Borrell, the EU's High Rep for Foreign Affairs,said #Israel 's response in #Gaza may have breached international law. "Israel has the right to defend [itself], but it has to be done according to the right of international law, humanitarian law," he said

The US says it is discussing with Israel and #Egypt about trying to get "safe passage" for Gaza civilians.

V afp:
The #IDF said it had responded with artillery fire after shells were launched at the #Golan Heights, a territory #Israel had occupied since 1967.

"Soldiers are responding with artillery and mortar shells toward the origin of the launching in #Syria," said an #Israeli army statement

The army claims there have been "a number of launches from Syria into Israeli territory".

A military spokesman told AFP it appeared to have been mortar fire.

(Cont.)

This was the first exchange of fire between #Israel and #Syria since #Hamas launched an attack on Israel from the blockaded #Gaza Strip on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Israel also exchanged fire with militants in southern #Lebanon

More than 260,000 people have been displaced from their homes in #Gaza (2.3 million population) as the #Israeli military continues to bombard the #Palestinian enclave, the #UN said.

This represents the "highest number of people displaced since the 50-day escalation of hostilities in 2014"

"I do not accept targeting civilians from both sides by any means. To this retaliation in Gaza... In my mind, it's a collective punishment." - area manager of the Norwegian Refugee Council #NRC told #BBC

“ #Hamas started this war. We’ll finish it and we’ll finish it on our terms,” Mark Regev, PM #Netanyahu 's senior advisor told the #BBC.
“I’d ask other people, citizens of Britain, of any other country, what would you do if 1,000 of your people were killed on one day?"
“If #Israel doesn’t respond with force, I’m afraid the lesson will be learnt across this region - you can hit Israel with impunity - that’s not acceptable.”

GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING

A clearer picture of the scale of atrocity wrought on civilians in #Israel is unfolding. An #Israeli general spoke of babies killed in their bedrooms, while some soldiers said the dead had been beheaded

Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said he has "released all restraints" on his troops, adding #Gaza “will never return to what it was”.

As dawn broke on Wednesday, thousands of #Palestinians staged demonstrations against #Israel 's air strikes on the #Gaza Strip in cities across the occupied #WestBank.

The Palestinian News Agency reported that protestors raised #Palestinian flags and pictures of victims killed in Gaza.

Meanwhile the last power source in Gaza may soon run out of fuel, while a British-Palestinian trauma surgeon has warned that the enclave's health system could “collapse within a week”

V AFP
Death toll of Thai citizens killed in Hamas attack rises to 20, 14 held hostage

V Times of Israel:
#Israel ’s #Kan public broadcaster is opening a new channel where it will list the names of #Israelis killed in the devastating #Hamas assault and ongoing fighting.

Channel 26 will scroll through the names of the dead, much like the broadcasts on Israel’s Memorial Day.

The death toll is currently over 1,200, including at least 170 Israeli soldiers killed in battles with the gunmen.

V Haaretz:
Opinion piece:
Demands for a POW deal
עסקת שבויים - עכשיו
https://www.haaretz.co.il/opinions/editorial-articles/2023-10-11/ty-article-opinion/0000018b-1a18-d2fc-a59f-db19e6e10000?utm_source=App_Share&utm_medium=iOS_Native

VERY GRAPHIC AND TRIGGERING
'So the World Knows What Happened': The Scene of Slaughter at #Kibbutz #Kfar #Azza
By Anshel Pfeffer

800 Israelis lived in Kfar Azza, a kibbutz within sight of #Gaza City. Now many of them are just numbers: Dead, wounded, missing, captured. A visit to the site of the biggest massacre of #Jews since the #Holocaust

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-10/ty-article/.premium/so-the-world-knows-what-happened-the-scene-of-slaughter-at-kibbutz-kfar-azza/0000018b-1aa1-df31-a99f-7fe3eae50000

'bodies are still lying on the kibbutz paths, three days later. Signposts on a trail of short-range murder...'

#Gaza 's #power plant will run out of #fuel in 10 to 12 hours, the head of the Palestinian Energy Authority told Voice of Palestine radio.
Israel cut off its electricity supply to Gaza on Monday, as it declared a "complete siege". It said food, fuel and water supplies would also be cut.

About 80% of people in Gaza relied on #humanitarian aid even before the latest war began.

On Wednesday, #UNRWA said nearly half a million people have not been able to get their food rations since Saturday.

From #BBC Monitoring colleagues:

Third strike reported on border crossing between #Gaza and #Egypt - in some #Arabic media

Fears in Egypt of a possible Gaza exodus

An aid convoy is said to have been turned back from the #Egyptian border

#Qatar For Min says it is too early to talk about direct mediation

#Doha, Cairo and Ankara said to have been talking to Hamas acc to AlArabiya

V i24news:
'Anti-tank missile fire in northern #Israel near #Lebanon border

#IDF confirms no infiltration occurred on the northern border

Arab media reports 9 missiles were launched from Lebanon into Israel'

V madamasr:
#Sinai prepares for potential massive #humanitarian fallout as #Israel prepares escalation on #Gaza - Hospitals in north Sinai are on alert to receive wounded from #Gaza

Times of Israel op ed piece:
'For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it’s blown up in our faces'

https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-years-netanyahu-propped-up-hamas-now-its-blown-up-in-our-faces/

it is a choice, a policy. Exactly what Turkey is doing with Kurds. Put the people who want to speak, political leaders, in prison or out of power so there is only gun wielding, unelected orgs left in the field where you are the only legitimate side that doesn't have to negotiate or explain any use of force. This is the game everywhere. Authoritarian states don't want to share power at parliaments, they want the guerrilla ear where the rest of the world supports the only legitimate side and has to look the other way for all the criming. If only mainstream media explained this to people....