Additionally, Israel now admitted that it received information on events in Gaza two hours prior to last week’s attack.
Protests were held all around the world before to the invasion; the largest event was reportedly attended by tens of thousands of people in London.
Second Aircraft Carrier Group is Deployed by the US (2:17 a.m.
According to a statement from Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, the US is supporting Israel by dispatching a second aircraft carrier group to the eastern Mediterranean. Following the Hamas attacks from Gaza last week, the USS Gerald Ford was despatched together with the USS Eisenhower carrier strike group.
“The United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war,” according to Austin, are signalled by the deployments.
US Reports: Since the Hamas Attacks, 29 Citizens Are Dead and 15 Are Missing (12:04 a.m.)
The State Department announced in a statement late Saturday that at least 29 Americans have been officially verified dead in the violence in Israel since the Hamas strikes, and that the US is aware of 15 citizens and one lawful permanent resident who are missing.
According to the statement, the US is sending government experts to Israel “to advise the Israeli government on hostage recovery efforts” and is also exchanging intelligence with them.
On Saturday, US President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority to discuss attempts to guarantee that Gazan people had access to food, water, and medical care.
The White House released a statement after Biden called Abbas, marking the first known conversation between the two since the attacks last week. Biden denounced Hamas and gave the Palestinian Authority his “full support” in its efforts to aid Palestinians humanitarianly. Biden discussed cooperative efforts with the UN, Egypt, and Jordan to ensure the delivery of supplies to Gaza’s civilian population with both leaders.
In his fifth conversation with Netanyahu since the attacks over the weekend, Biden also gave an update on US military assistance to Israel.
At 8:33 p.m., Liberman will join the emergency government.
Avigdor Liberman, the leader of the opposition party Yisrael Beitenu, has accepted to become a cabinet member of the emergency war government, according to a statement released by Israel’s Likud Party. In the parliament, his party holds six seats. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, the head of a larger opposition party, collaborated earlier this week to form the interim government.
During his fifth meeting with Netanyahu following the weekend strikes, Biden also provided an update on US military support for Israel.
Liberman will join the emergency government at 8:33 p.m.
According to a statement issued by Israel’s Likud Party, Avigdor Liberman, the leader of the opposition party Yisrael Beitenu, has agreed to join the cabinet of the interim war government. His party has six seats in parliament. Earlier this week, the leader of a major opposition party, Benny Gantz, worked with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form the interim government.
For the first time, Israel has acknowledged that intelligence pointed to activity in Gaza two hours prior to last week’s attacks. Tzachi Hanegbi, head of Israel’s National Security Council, claimed that the head of Shin Bet, the country’s internal security agency, discussed the reports with military officers.
According to a military statement, the Israel Defence Forces stated it is getting ready “to implement a wide range of offensive operative plans which include, among other things, an integrated and coordinated attack from the air, sea, and land.” There was no indication of timing from it.
With “an emphasis on a significant ground operation,” soldiers are ready for the next phase of the battle and are stationed around the nation.
Hundreds of thousands of service members will support the army after it has finished reservist mobilisation.
Pro-Palestinian protests saw thousands of participants take to the streets across the UK, with the largest march in London reportedly drawing tens of thousands of spectators.
Even after officials threatened to arrest anyone showing support for Hamas, more than a thousand police officers were stationed in London, and the demonstrations stayed peaceful.
Netanyahu Should Protect Civilians, Says Macron (7:03 p.m.)
According to an Elysee official, French President Emmanuel Macron called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pleaded with him to respect humanitarian law and save lives.
The official also said that Hezbollah, a Lebanese organisation, had received warnings from France to avoid the conflict.
5:06 p.m.: Turkey opposes the forced migration of Palestinians into Gaza.
Turkey is siding with Cairo against Israel’s aim of “driving Palestinians towards Egypt,” according to Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Speaking during a briefing in Cairo alongside his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Fidan stated that Turkish military cargo planes delivering food and medical supplies for the Gaza Strip had landed in Egypt.
Egypt-Gaza Border Crossing Is Still Closed (5 p.m.)
International citizens in Gaza are not being permitted by Egypt to access the Rafah border point, according to a report by Al Qahera News.
Citing what it called “informed sources in Egypt,” the TV channel stated on X, formerly Twitter, that Cairo’s position is clear: the crossing should be used to bring help.
According to a person acquainted with the matter, Israel on Saturday was preventing foreign visitors or residents of Gaza from leaving owing to an unidentified operational security concern.
Hezbollah and Israel Trade Fire around 2:45 p.m.
According to the militant group’s Al Manar television, Hezbollah used guided missiles and artillery fire to attack Israeli army sites. Artillery fire can be seen in real time striking the post close to Shebaa Farms, a contentious border region.
According to the Israeli defence forces, Israel is responding to the fire by hitting locations in southern Lebanon.
9 More Hostages Die in Strikes, According to Hamas (2:30 p.m.)
According to the military branch of Hamas, nine more captives have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza over the last 24 hours, four of them were foreigners. As per Hamas, this brings the total number of hostage deaths resulting from Israeli airstrikes to 26.
During the huge assault into southern Israel a week ago, the Palestinian militant group seized roughly 120 persons, the majority of whom were civilians, and transported them back to Gaza.
Blinken Highlights the Need to Watch Out for Civilians at 1 PM
After meeting with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the US and Saudi Arabia must make sure that the fight doesn’t expand to other fronts.
Potential Permission for Americans to Evacuate Gaza (12:30 p.m.)
An American official with knowledge of the situation has stated that Americans residing in the Gaza Strip might be permitted to depart on Saturday.
According to a US official, Americans may depart Gaza on Saturday.
The official, who asked not to be named while speaking about private discussions, added that although Israel and Egypt have stated they can leave through the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, it’s not certain if Hamas will consent to that.
UNRWA reports that water is running out in Gaza around 12:05 p.m.
As water runs out, over 2 million people in the Gaza Strip are in danger, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency, which assists Palestinian refugees.
It stated that the usage of tainted well water by people has increased, hence raising the danger of waterborne illnesses.
UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma stated, “We have to ship petroleum into Gaza right now. “The only source of clean drinking water available to humans is fuel. If not, severe dehydration will cause deaths in a number of people, including women, elderly people, and small children.
8:15 a.m.: Israel claims to have killed a senior Hamas commander.
Israel claimed that Merad Abu Merad, the head of Hamas’ aerial systems for Gaza City, was killed in an airstrike. Israel claims that he was mostly in charge of the assaults that were carried out last Saturday.
According to the Israel Defence Forces, he was killed when jets attacked Hamas’ operations headquarters. His passing hasn’t been verified by the group.
Israeli fighter jets carried out extensive airstrikes over the Gaza Strip during the night, according to the IDF.
Israel’s War Spreads Market Risk Throughout the Wary Middle East
EU and China Talk About Tensions in the Middle East 5:30 a.m.
At the conclusion of his visit to China on Saturday, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell stated that one of the main subjects of discussion in the most recent negotiations between the EU and China was the Middle East.
According to Borrell, both sides concur that a two-state solution is the only viable long-term solution to the Palestinian problem. He stated that although Israel has the right to self-defense, “like any right, it has a limit,” in this case being international humanitarian law.
He went on, saying that it is “utterly, utterly impossible to implement” an evacuation of Gaza.
Israel strikes sites used by Hezbollah in Lebanon (3:50 a.m.)
Israel said that in reaction to “unidentified” objects that had infiltrated northern Israeli airspace hours earlier, it had launched strikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Poll: Gantz Rises While Netanyahu’s Support Declines
The Israel Defence Forces announced in a statement on Friday night that the objects were shot down by Israeli unmanned aircraft. Iran-backed Hezbollah is a political group and force that has previously declared its readiness to take action against Israel due to the latter’s Gaza War. Hezbollah is classified as a terrorist organisation by the US.