Israel-Hamas war updates: Here’s what happened on Oct. 19

This live coverage has now ended. Find the latest up-to-date information on the Israel-Hamas war here.

9:30 p.m. ET

Trudeau grapples with divided Liberal Party as he navigates Israel-Hamas war

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is grappling with a Liberal caucus that’s split over the Israel-Hamas war – at least eight MPs are calling for a ceasefire – even as he champions the Israeli government’s right to defend itself.

Mr. Trudeau is facing pressure from supporters of Israelis and supporters of Palestinians to take stronger positions in the conflict.

Behind closed doors, Liberal MPs say some members of their caucus are pushing for a tougher line against Israel and its air strikes and siege against Gaza. At the same time, they acknowledge, a significant number of others are making the case that Israel has a right to defend itself and it’s not Canada’s job to tell Israelis how to conduct this defence.

The Globe and Mail is not identifying the MPs because they were not authorized to disclose the private caucus discussions.

- Steven Chase and Marieke Walsh, Ottawa

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8:25 p.m. ET

Biden declares support for Israel and Ukraine is ‘vital’ for U.S. security

President Joe Biden declared it is “vital for America’s national security” for Israel and Ukraine to succeed in their wars, making the case Thursday night for deepening U.S. involvement in a rare Oval Office address as he preparedto ask for billions of dollars in military assistance for both countries.

If international aggression is allowed to continue, Biden said, “conflict and chaos could spread in other parts of the world.”

“Hamas and Putin represent different threats,” Biden said. “But they share this in common. They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy.”

He said he would send an urgent funding request to Congress, which is expected to be roughly $100 billion over the next year. The proposal, which will be unveiled on Friday, includes money for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, humanitarian aid and border management.

- The Associated Press

7:55 p.m. ET

Biden to seek $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel

U.S. President Joe Biden will ask Congress for $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel, a source familiar with his plan told Reuters.

The request will also include $10 billion for humanitarian aid, $14 billion for border security and $7 billion for the Indo-Pacific region, the source said.

Half of the $60 billion Biden is requesting for Ukraine would go toward replacing and modernizing U.S. weapons stocks, the source said.

Biden was scheduled to outline the request in a White House speech at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday

- Reuters

6:30 p.m. ET

Israeli military bombed church, Palestinian authorities say

Palestinian authorities said the Israeli military bombed a Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City late Thursday, resulting in deaths and dozens of wounded.

Abu Selmia, director general of Shifa Hospital Mohammed, said dozens were hurt at the Church of Saint Porphyrios but could not give a concrete death toll because there were still bodies under the rubble.

The Church is located near the Al-Ahli Hospital, where a blast Tuesday killed hundreds according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchy of Jerusalem issued a statement condemning the strike on the church, which has been housing displaced families.

It added that it will “not abandon its religious and humanitarian duty” to provide assistance.

A survivor told Qatar’s Al Jazeera Arabic television that the Israeli military did not give any warnings beforehand.

Named after the Bishop of Gaza from 395 to 420, St. Porphyrios is located in the al-Zaytun section of Gaza’s Old City. Its thick limestone walls house an elaborate interior of gilded icons and ceiling paintings.

The church’s founding dates to 407 A.D., but it became a mosque in the 7th century before a new church was built in the 12th century during the Crusades.

- The Associated Press

6 p.m. ET

U.S. troops attacked in Iraq, Syria and on alert for more strikes

U.S. troops have been repeatedly attacked in Iraq and Syria in recent days, U.S. officials said on Thursday, as Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups with regional tensions soaring during the Israel-Hamas war.

President Joe Biden has sent naval power to the Middle East in the past two weeks, including two aircraft carriers, other warships and about 2,000 Marines.

There has been an uptick in attacks on U.S. forces since the conflict in Israel broke out on Oct. 7 when Palestinian militants from Hamas attacked southern Israel. On Wednesday, a drone hit U.S. forces in Syria resulting in minor injuries, while another one was brought down.

During a false alarm at Al Asad airbase in Iraq, a civilian contractor died from a cardiac arrest.

Earlier this week, U.S. forces thwarted multiple drones targeting troops in Iraq. On Thursday, drones and rockets targeted the Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts U.S. and other international forces in western Iraq, and multiple blasts were heard inside the base.

“While I’m not going to forecast any potential responses to these attacks, I will say that we will take all necessary actions to defend U.S. and coalition forces against any threat,” Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters on Thursday.

“Any response, should one occur, will come at a time in a manner of our choosing,” Ryder said.

A U.S. Navy warship traveling near Yemen on Thursday intercepted missiles and several drones that were launched by what Ryder said was the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, though it appeared that the projectiles were potentially heading in the direction of Israel.

- Reuters

5:07 p.m. ET

Canadian schools help affected students, parents cope with conflict in Israel and Gaza

In a virtual session this week, counsellor Leanne Matlow received a flood of questions from concerned parents: What should I tell my child who asks every night if someone from our family has died? What information should I share with my children – or keep from them? Is it safe for my children to attend school?

The session was held by the York Region District School Board, north of Toronto, for families of Jewish and Israeli students. Another two sessions on Friday will be for families of Palestinian and Muslim students.

Ms. Matlow, a cognitive behaviour therapy counsellor, walked 150 families through setting boundaries in their homes around news consumption of the Middle East conflict, and reassuring children of their safety. She recommended that families brainstorm ways to feel hopeful and helpful, and reminded parents that children are watching and listening to how they react.

“At this moment in time when incredibly uncertain things are happening, I think that that would go a long way in your home to help contain the anxiety, not create more anxiety, and maybe hopefully empower your child to deal with really, really difficult, unimaginable things,” she told her online audience of the tools she offered.

The sessions at the York school board are part of wider efforts among educators in many parts of the country looking to support students and their families affected by the conflict in Israel and Gaza.

Lois Agard, York’s co-ordinating superintendent of equity, said the school board worked with its mental-health clinicians, as well as Jewish and Muslim groups, to provide identity-specific practitioners to support families. Roughly 14 per cent of students at the board identify as Jewish, and 23 per cent identify as Muslim. Fewer than 1 per cent identify as Palestinian.

“We know that with the evolving tragic situation in the Middle East, it’s deeply upsetting for our YRDSB students, particularly for staff and family of Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian and Israeli communities,” Ms. Agard said. “We really wanted our focus to be on supporting the emotional needs of our students, staff and families.”

Similarly, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is offering support groups to Jewish and Muslim students in middle and high school. The board has done this in the past as well, said spokesperson Darcy Knoll.

“These allow students to come together across the district to connect, share concerns and experiences, and support one another,” Mr. Knoll said, adding that it allows staff to follow up with individual students, if necessary.

In Quebec, the English Montreal School Board said it has mental-health experts on hand to provide counseling to students. The board is also speaking with organizations, such as the Canadian Red Cross, to see how it can help with relief efforts.

Michael Cohen, the board’s spokesperson, said discussions are preliminary.

“Our schools have a history of supporting populations in need and so we are right now taking an inventory of options,” he said.

Radean Carter, a spokesperson at Winnipeg School Division, said staff are reaching out to schools to make them aware that clinical supports are available for students and their families. Students’ understanding of the events in the Middle East varies, as does their emotional response, she said.

“We will address these varying needs in age-appropriate ways through facilitating safe spaces for open and honest discussions, where students can express their feelings, ask questions, and receive guidance as they process their emotions,” Ms. Carter said.

“We want to ensure that no one in our school community feels alone or overwhelmed during this challenging time.”

- Caroline Alphonso

5:05 p.m. ET

Israel says almost 30 children among hostages taken by Hamas

Nearly 30 of some 200 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are children, the Israeli military said Thursday.

More than 10 are over the age of 60, the statement said.

Authorities have no information about the location of more than 100 missing Israelis, it said.

- The Associated Press

5 p.m. ET

UN force helps to recover seven people caught in Lebanese-Israeli fighting

The U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon says Lebanese troops requested assistance to bring back seven individuals stranded along the border with Israel. One person was killed in the operation.

The U.N. force known as UNIFIL said the seven became stranded during an exchange of fire.

UNIFIL urged the Israeli military to suspend fire to facilitate the rescue operation, and Israel complied, allowing Lebanese troops to recover the seven. It said one person was killed.

Lebanese TV stations reported that the group included several Iranian journalists.

Mohsen Maghsoodi, an Iranian state TV host, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he was with the group and that they were stranded for “five or six hours” in the crossfire. Their car “was seriously damaged by bullets and mortars,” he said.

The journalists are safe but one Lebanese person was killed, he wrote.

- The Associated Press

3:55 p.m. ET

Ontario legislator sends cease-and-desist letter to Premier Doug Ford about Middle East comments

A New Democrat legislator has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford over comments made about her statement on the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Sarah Jama alleges Ford defamed her when he said she has a “well-documented history of antisemitism” and supports the “rape and murder of innocent Jewish people.”

The premier made the comments in a two-paragraph written statement that provided no specific details supporting the allegations he made against Jama.

Ford’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jama’s cease-and-desist letter comes as the Progressive Conservatives are debating a motion in the legislature that could lead to her being silenced from speaking in the House unless she apologizes again for her statement on the attack on Israel.

Jama has come under fire for the post she made last week decrying the “occupation” of Palestine without mentioning the attack by Hamas militants on Israeli civilians earlier this month. She later posted an apology online but did not retract the original statement.

- The Canadian Press

3:40 p.m. ET

U.S. Navy warship near Yemen intercepts multiple projectiles

A U.S. Navy warship traveling near Yemen intercepted multiple projectiles but did not appear to be a target of them, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Thursday.

Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar during the Israel-Hamas war.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were no injuries and that a number of projectiles, including drones, were brought down near the destroyer USS Carney.

They added that according to initial information, it did not appear that the Carney was the target but rather missiles were passing in its vicinity.

The U.S. has sent a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East in the past week, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships and about 2,000 Marines.

While the White House says there are “no plans or intentions” for their use, it means U.S. military assets would be in place to provide support to protect U.S. national security interests if needed. The U.S. also has an array of bases in the Middle East with troops, fighter aircraft and warships.

– Reuters

2:45 p.m. ET

Britain, Saudi Arabia agree on need to avoid escalation of Israel conflict

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed on the need to avoid any further escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East, Sunak’s Downing Street office said on Thursday.

“They underscored the need to avoid any further escalation in the region and agreed to coordinate action on this front,” Downing Street said after the leaders met during Sunak’s visit to Saudi Arabia.

“The Prime Minister encouraged the Crown Prince to use Saudi’s leadership in the region to support stability, both now and in the long-term.”

- Reuters

2:40 p.m. ET

More than 300 are arrested in a Capitol Hill protest urging a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war

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More than 300 people were arrested for illegally demonstrating and three people were charged with assaulting police after protesters descended on Capitol Hill to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Hundreds of demonstrators from Jewish advocacy groups, including Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now, poured into a congressional office building on Wednesday. They wore shirts that read “Jews say cease fire now” and they chanted “let Gaza live” and “not in my name” before they were detained by Capitol Police.

Demonstrations are not allowed inside Capitol buildings, and police said they warned the crowd gathered in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building to stop before they began making the arrests.

The 305 people arrested for illegally demonstrating were subsequently released and those charged with assault were held in custody pending an appearance before a judge.

A few liberal members of Congress have been pushing for a resolution in the latest Hamas-Israel war, saying that Israeli bombardment of civilians in Gaza is leading to a humanitarian crisis.

- The Associated Press

2:30 p.m. ET

U.S. intel says Gaza hospital death toll likely between 100-300

An unclassified U.S. intelligence report, seen by Reuters on Thursday, estimated the death toll from a blast at a Gaza hospital was “probably at the low end of the 100 to 300 spectrum,” but added that the assessment may evolve.

Palestinian officials said 471 people were killed in the blast at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital late on Tuesday. Gaza’s health ministry blamed an Israeli air strike, while Israel said the blast was caused by a failed rocket launch by militants.

“We judge that Israel was not responsible,” said the unclassified U.S. intelligence report. “Our assessment is based on available reporting, including intelligence, missile activity, and open-source video and images of the incident.”

“We estimate the number of deaths is probably at the low end of the 100-to-300 spectrum. We are still assessing the likely casualty figures and our assessment may evolve, but this death toll still reflects a staggering loss of life,” the report said.

The report said “only light structural damage at the hospital” has been observed and there was “no observable damage to the main hospital building and no impact craters.”

- Reuters

2:20 p.m. ET

Canada taking ‘necessary time’ to probe hospital blast in Gaza, Trudeau says

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is working with allies to determine “exactly what happened” in the blast at a hospital in Gaza earlier this week that has become a flashpoint in the Israel-Hamas war.

Trudeau said at a news conference in Ottawa today that Canada is taking the “necessary time” to probe a blast that the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry says left hundreds dead.

Hamas is blaming the Israeli military for the blast, but Israel has denied any involvement, saying it has images that it says show a Palestinian militant group misfired on the hospital.

Pressure began to mount on Trudeau to clarify which side he thinks is responsible after United States President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to the region Wednesday that it appeared the hospital blast was perpetrated “by the other team, not you.”

Trudeau had said when news of the blast first emerged that what happened was “unacceptable” and “not legal” under the international laws that govern war.

Trudeau says today the conflict is having a “deep, direct, personal impact” on communities in Canada and adds that his government will “look carefully” before drawing any final conclusions.

- The Canadian Press

1:55 p.m. ET

Journalists in Gaza wrestle with issues of survival in addition to getting stories out

A limited number of journalists in Gaza are trying to report on the war with Israel while facing the same problems as the besieged Palestinian population there — wondering where to live, where to get food and water, and how to stay safe.

The aftermath of Tuesday’s explosion that killed hundreds at a Gaza City hospital is the latest example of how that reality hinders the world’s ability to get a full picture of what is happening to the Palestinian population In Gaza.

Outside journalists have been unable to enter Gaza since the Hamas attack in Israel on Oct. 7. The sole entry point for journalists, Israel’s Erez crossing, was attacked in the rampage and remains closed. A handful of news organizations had maintained a regular presence with bureaus there, including The Associated Press, the BBC, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and Al-Jazeera, with a network of stringers helping others.

Israel’s order to Palestinians to evacuate the northern part of Gaza led journalists at AP and AFP, for example, to abandon bureaus in Gaza City and head south.

“Working in Gaza right now is extremely difficult and that’s in large part because our staff are both covering the story and worrying about their own safety and the safety of their families,” said Julie Pace, executive editor and senior vice president of The Associated Press.

AP staff stocked up on bottled water and other supplies before abandoning their Gaza City bureau, which replaced an office destroyed by Israeli bombs in 2021.

Even with power supplies limited, AP staff members have provided photos, video and other reporting each day since the war’s start, Pace said. No such luck for a camera left behind on the bureau’s balcony that provided a live stream of the skyline; the generator likely ran out of fuel.

The nine Agence France-Presse journalists in Gaza feel caught in a squeeze between wanting to work and also take care of their families, said Phil Chetwynd, global news director. Managers are stressing the importance of safety first, he said.

“This is a population that over the years has been used to fairly extreme situations, but I think they would all say that this is on a much, much bigger scale,” Chetwynd said, referring to the previous four wars between Israel and Hamas.

At least 19 journalists have been killed since the start of the war, 15 of them in Gaza, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Already, more journalists have been killed in Gaza during the past two weeks than in the territory since 2001, said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa coordinator.

- The Associated Press

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1:40 p.m. ET

Gaza awaits humanitarian aid, as Israel tells troops to ‘be ready’ for ground invasion

Israel pounded the Gaza Strip with air strikes on Thursday, including in the south where Palestinians were told to take refuge, and the country’s defense minister told ground troops to “be ready” to invade, though he didn’t say when.

Gaza’s overwhelmed hospitals tried to stretch out ebbing medical supplies and fuel for diesel generators to keep the equipment running, as authorities worked out logistics for a delivery of aid into from Egypt. Doctors in darkened wards across Gaza stitched wounds by mobile phone light, and others used vinegar to treat infected wounds.

The Israeli military has relentlessly attacked Gaza in retaliation for a devastating Hamas rampage in southern Israel almost two weeks ago. Even after Israel told Palestinians to evacuate the north of Gaza and flee south, strikes extended across the territory, heightening fears among the territory’s 2 million people that nowhere was safe.

Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israel on Thursday from Gaza and Lebanon, and tensions flared in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

In a fiery speech to Israeli infantry soldiers on the Gaza border Thursday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant urged the forces to “get organized, be ready” for an order to move in. Israel has massed tens of thousands of troops along the border.

“Whoever sees Gaza from afar now, will see it from the inside ... I promise you,” he said. “It might take a week, a month, two months until we destroy them,” he added, referring to Hamas.

Israel’s consent for Egypt to let in food, water and medicine provided the first possibility for an opening in its sealing off of the territory. Many among Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are down to one meal a day and drinking dirty water.

Israel did not list fuel as a permitted item, but a senior Egyptian security official said Egypt was negotiating for the entry of fuel for hospitals. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press. The first trucks of aid were expected to go in Friday, Egypt’s state-owned Al-Qahera news, which is close to security agencies, reported.

With the Egypt-Gaza border crossing in Rafah still closed, the already dire conditions at Gaza’s second-largest hospital deteriorated further, said Dr. Mohammed Qandeel of Nasser Hospital in the southern town of Khan Younis. Power was shut off in most departments to save it for intensive care and other vital functions, and staff members were using mobile phones for light.

At least 80 wounded civilians and 12 dead flooded into the hospital Thursday morning after witnesses said a strike hit a residential building in Khan Younis. Doctors had no choice but to leave two of the incoming to die because there were no ventilators left, Qandeel said.

- The Associated Press

1:35 p.m. ET

Russia says it is coordinating Middle East policy with China

Russia said on Thursday it was coordinating its policy in the Middle East and North Africa with China, an increasingly close ally that President Vladimir Putin visited this week.

Russia said Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov had held talks in Doha with Zhai Jun, China’s special envoy for the Middle East, in which they exchanged views on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group that runs the Gaza Strip.

“There was confirmation of the constant focus of Moscow and Beijing on close coordination of efforts in the interests of a political settlement of this and other crises in the Middle East and North Africa region...” a foreign ministry statement said.

Russia sees itself as a potential broker between Israel and Hamas, which triggered the current crisis with a surprise assault on Oct. 7 that killed 1,400 people. Israel has responded with aerial bombardments that Gaza authorities say have killed more than 3,500 Palestinians and left more than 12,000 wounded.

Moscow has tried to put some of the blame for the crisis on the United States, the most powerful ally of Ukraine, against which Russia began an all-out invasion last year.

A Russian-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, along with the release of hostages, humanitarian access, and the safe evacuation of civilians in need failed to pass on Monday.

The text condemned violence against civilians and all acts of terrorism, but did not single out Hamas.

- Reuters

1:10 p.m. ET

UN to inspect aid shipments into Gaza under Israel-Egypt deal

A UN flag will be raised at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza to protect against Israeli air strikes under a UN-brokered deal between Israel and Egypt to allow aid into the Palestinian territory.

An Egyptian official and a European diplomat said observers from the UN will also inspect trucks carrying aid before crossing into Gaza.

They said the UN will oversee the aid, along with the Egyptians and Palestinian Red Crescent societies, to ensure it is given to civilians and not used by Palestinian militants.

The Egyptian official said they are still negotiating with Israel over allowing fuel into Gaza, where a shortage has forced the closure of multiple hospitals.

The official and the diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.

- The Associated Press

12:55 p.m. ET

Turkish officials say Israel withdraws diplomats citing safety

Israel has withdrawn all of its diplomats from Turkey over concerns for their security, according to two Turkish officials.

The move follows a spate of protests outside Israeli diplomatic missions in Turkey after a blast at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of Palestinians. Some protesters tried to storm the ambassador’s residence in Ankara and a building housing the consulate in Istanbul.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to make public statements, said diplomats including ambassador Irit Lillian have already left Turkey.

They insisted the diplomats had left over safety concerns and that their withdrawal was not political.

Turkey and Israel recently restored full diplomatic relations after withdrawing ambassadors in 2018 amid tensions sparked by the United States’ decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

- The Associated Press

12:23 p.m. ET

U.S. State Department warns of potential for violent protests and terror attacks

The State Department is warning U.S. citizens of potential for terrorist attacks and violent demonstrations around the world as the Israel-Hamas war intensifies and threats against American interests become more acute.

In a “Worldwide Caution” issued on Thursday, the department advised Americans to “exercise increased caution due to the potential for violence and increased tensions” in all countries.

“Due to increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution,” it said.

The brief notice said Americans should be particularly alert in areas frequented by foreign tourists.

- The Associated Press

12:20 p.m. ET

World Jewish Congress asks Pope to appeal for hostages’ release

The head of the World Jewish Congress has asked Pope Francis to use his moral authority to appeal for the release of hostages taken from Israel by Hamas.

Ronald Lauder made the appeal Thursday during a scheduled audience with Francis at the Vatican. Lauder was in Rome to inaugurate a WJC liaison office with the Holy See.

Francis has called for the hostages to be released and reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defense, while expressing alarm about the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and the unfolding “humanitarian catastrophe.”

- The Associated Press

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11:57 a.m. ET

Airstrike kills several Palestinians in West Bank refugee camp

A rare Israeli airstrike in the West Bank targeted militants in a refugee camp Thursday, leaving several Palestinians dead and stoking violent clashes, the Israeli military said.

The Israeli military said the airstrike killed militants in the Nur Shams refugee camp, close to the city of Tulkarem, but did not specify how many. Palestinian health officials said six Palestinians were killed. The Red Crescent said eight Palestinians were killed.

Gunmen threw explosives at Israeli forces and forces fired back, the Israeli military said.

Palestinian state media reported that Israel sealed off the camp and prevented ambulances from entering to help the injured. Private cars smuggled the wounded past roadblocks to the hospital.

The Israeli military said forces were still inside the camp.

- The Associated Press, Reuters

11:44 a.m. ET

You will soon see Gaza ‘from inside,’ Israel defence minister tells troops

Israel’s defense minister has told ground troops to be ready to enter the Gaza Strip, though he is not saying when the invasion will start.

In a meeting with Israeli infantry soldiers on the Gaza border Thursday, Yoav Gallant urged the forces to “get organized, be ready” for an order to move in.

“Whoever sees Gaza from afar now, will see it from the inside,” he said. “I promise you.”

Israel has massed tens of thousands of troops along the border following a bloody Oct. 7 cross-border massacre by Hamas militants.

- The Associated Press

11:13 a.m. ET

Authorities urgently request diesel to keep Gaza hospitals open

The Gaza Health Ministry has issued an urgent request for diesel after a fifth major hospital closed due to a lack of fuel.

The Yemen al-Saeed Hospital in the north of Gaza was forced to shut down after running out of fuel, the ministry said Thursday.

Beit Hanoun Hospital, Dora Children’s Hospital, Karama Hospital and the International Eye Hospital in Gaza have already closed due to fuel shortages and air strike damage, the ministry said. Services have also halted at 14 smaller primary health centres in the enclave for the same reasons, it said.

The ministry issued an urgent call to all gas stations in Gaza and anyone else who may have a spare litre of diesel to immediately call a hotline so that the fuel can be transferred to Gaza’s hospitals, now powered by backup generators with scant fuel supplies.

The remaining health care facilities in Gaza are operating at over 150 per cent capacity, the ministry said.

- The Associated Press

10:50 a.m. ET

World Health Organization says medical aid ‘ready to go’ at Gaza crossing

Five trucks of medical supplies are ready at the border between Gaza and Egypt, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, welcoming Israel’s announcement saying it will not block the entry of aid into the Palestinian territory.

“Our trucks are loaded and ready to go,” WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference. He said he hoped the supplies would be delivered as soon as the Rafah crossing opened, “hopefully tomorrow.”

- Reuters

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10:20 a.m. ET

Biden to speak at 8 p.m. ET, will seek funding for Ukraine, Israel wars

U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss the U.S. response to the Israeli-Gaza conflict and the war in Ukraine in a prime time address scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, less than 24 hours after returning from Tel Aviv to offer Israelis support and aid for Palestinians in a trip upended by a hospital blast in Gaza.

Biden will offer a message of solidarity to the people of Ukraine and Israel, but moreover address the nation, including U.S. lawmakers, about the conflicts’ impact, U.S. deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said in television interviews.

“This will also be very much a message to the American people: how those conflicts connect to our lives back here, how support from the American people and the Congress, frankly, is essential,” Finer told MSNBC.

- Reuters

9:18 a.m. ET

EU demands Meta and TikTok detail efforts to curb disinformation from Israel-Hamas war

The European Union demanded for Meta and TikTok to detail their efforts to curb illegal content and disinformation during the Israel-Hamas war.

The European Commission, the 27-nation bloc’s executive branch, formally requested that the tech companies provide information on how they’re complying with sweeping new digital rules aimed at cleaning up online platforms, asking them to explain the measures they have taken to reduce the risk of spreading and amplifying terrorist and violent content, hate speech and disinformation.

Under the EU’s new rules, which took effect in August, the biggest tech companies face extra obligations to stop a wide range of illegal content from flourishing on their platforms or face the threat of hefty fines.

The new rules, known as the Digital Services Act, are being put to the test by the Israel-Hamas war. Photos and videos have flooded social media of the carnage alongside posts from users pushing false claims and misrepresenting videos from other events.

Brussels issued its first formal request under the DSA last week to Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

- The Associated Press

8:50 a.m. ET

European Parliament calls for ‘humanitarian pause’ in Gaza

The European Parliament has called for a “humanitarian pause” in Gaza to make sure aid can reach the needy and stressed that Israel’s right to defend itself can only be done within the strictures of international law.

In the non-binding resolution adopted on Thursday in a 500-21 vote, with 24 abstentions, European lawmakers also called for the immediate release of all hostages kidnapped by Hamas.

The call for a “humanitarian pause” stopped short of demanding a ceasefire.

– The Associated Press

8:29 a.m. ET

Israel conducts raid in the West Bank, arresting more than 80 Palestinians

The Israeli military has conducted an extensive raid in the West Bank, arresting more than 80 Palestinians.

The latest in a series of stepped-up Israeli operations in the territory since the outbreak of war, the raid on Wednesday night provoked violent clashes and left three Palestinians dead, including two children.

The military said that 63 of the 80 suspects arrested overnight were linked to Hamas. Of the 524 Palestinians arrested since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, 330 are Hamas affiliates.

Forces also demolished the home of a militant who killed an Israeli soldier, Staff Sgt. Shilo Yosef Amir, earlier this year. The militant, who the military identified as Ahmed Yasin Jidan, was shot shortly after killing Amir.

– The Associated Press

8:15 a.m. ET

U.S. general meets Egypt’s el-Sisi in push for aid to Gaza

The top U.S. general overseeing American troops in the Middle East made an unannounced trip to Egypt for talks on Thursday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi that focused on the Israel-Hamas war and how to get aid to the Gaza Strip.

Egypt’s Sinai peninsula adjoins the Gaza Strip and its Rafah border crossing is the sole route for aid to enter Gaza directly from outside Israel. It is also the only exit that does not lead to Israeli territory.

More than 100 trucks were waiting close to the crossing on the Egyptian side on Thursday, though it was not expected that aid would enter before Friday, Egyptian security sources said.

A statement from Sisi’s office said the talks with U.S. Army General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, included in particular “the developments in the Gaza Strip.”

“The president outlined Egypt’s efforts for de-escalation, stressing the importance of the international community’s concerted efforts to contain the crisis and stop its escalation in dangerous directions,” the statement said.

The meeting in Cairo, where Kurilla also met Egypt’s Defence Minister Mohamed Zaki, came as Washington and Egypt have been pushing for a deal with Israel to get aid deliveries to Gaza.

Sisi’s office said delivering aid in a “sustainable manner” was a top priority given deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

– Reuters

8 a.m. ET

In photos: Hospital blast in Gaza intensifies protests as Hamas and Israel deflect blame

Thousands of protesters marched in grief, fury and solidarity around the world, after the Palestinian Health Ministry said hundreds of Palestinian civilians were killed in an explosion at a hospital in Gaza.

7:53 a.m. ET

Four Palestinians killed in air strike on house in Gaza’s Khan Younis: Hamas media

Several Palestinians were killed or wounded, including children, in an air strike on a house in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday, Hamas media reported.

Hamas-affiliated Aqsa radio said four Palestinians were killed and several were wounded in the air strike.

– Reuters

7:50 a.m. ET

U.S. embassy urges its citizens in Lebanon to leave ‘as soon as possible’

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The U.S. embassy in Lebanon urged its citizens on Thursday to “make plans to depart as soon as possible while commercial options are still available.”

In an e-mailed advisory to citizens, the embassy said it was closely monitoring the security situation in Lebanon.

“We recommend that U.S. citizens who choose not to depart prepare contingency plans for emergency situations,” the embassy said.

On Oct. 17, the State Department issued a travel advisory urging its citizens not to travel to Lebanon due to the “unpredictable security situation.”

– Reuters

7:25 a.m. ET

Amount of fuel in Gaza hospitals remains unknown, Gaza health ministry says

A Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson said it wasn’t known how much fuel hospitals had left in their stocks on Thursday.

“The MoH (Ministry of Health) asked all gasoline stations in the Gaza Strip to give whatever they have to sustain the operation of the standby generators of the hospitals,” Medhat Abbas told the Associated Press. “They have collected a very small amount of fuel which of course, because the generators of the hospitals are very large, they are consuming thousands of litres, so we don’t know how long they can continue.”

With medical supplies also running short, doctors are resorting to desperate measures to care for the hundreds of wounded Palestinian patients.

“Surgery is being performed in the corridors of hospitals without anesthesia, yes without anesthesia, to save the lives of those who may have hope to live,” he said. “Others are left to die, to succumb to their destiny.

At Gaza’s largest hospital, Shifa Hospital, surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta tweeted a photo of a bottle of vinegar.

“Vinegar from the corner shop to treat pseudodomonas bacterial wound infections,” he said. “It’s come to that.”

Meanwhile, Gaza’s second-largest hospital has switched off the lights in the majority of the facility as staff try to conserve energy amid fuel shortages.

Lights are still on in Nasser Hospital’s intensive care unit, but in many other departments, doctors are using cellphones and flashlights to illuminate procedures.

– The Associated Press

7:17 a.m. ET

Sunak says U.K. will stand by Israel in its ‘darkest hour’

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu that Britain would stand by Israel in “its darkest hour” as he welcomed the decision to allow aid into Gaza and said Israel was doing all it could to limit civilian deaths.

“I know that you are taking every precaution to avoid harming civilians in direct contrast to the terrorists of Hamas which seeks to put civilians in harm’s way,” Sunak said alongside Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

“I welcome your decision yesterday that you took to ensure that routes into Gaza will be opened for humanitarian aid to enter … I’m proud to stand here with you. In Israel’s darkest hour as your friend. We will stand with you in solidarity. We will stand with your people and we also want you to win.”

– Reuters

7 a.m. ET

Netanyahu says Hamas attack aimed to destroy Israeli-Arab peace expansion

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that the shock Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen aimed to prevent the expansion of its peaceful relations in the Middle East, and asked Britain to keep supporting the Gaza counteroffensive.

“We were on the cusp of expanding that peace, and destroying that move was one of the reasons why this action was taken,” Netanyahu told visiting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

“This is our darkest hour,” he added. “That means that this is a long war, and we’ll need your continuous support.”

– Reuters

6:27 a.m. ET

Palestinians trapped in Gaza find nowhere is safe during Israel’s relentless bombing

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Israeli air strikes pounded locations across the Gaza Strip early Thursday, including parts of the south that Israel had declared as safe zones, heightening fears among more than 2 million Palestinians trapped in the territory that nowhere was safe.

In the nearly two weeks since a devastating Hamas rampage in southern Israel, the Israeli military has relentlessly attacked Gaza in response. Even after Israel told Palestinians to evacuate the north and head to what it called “safe zones” in the south, strikes continued overnight throughout the densely populated territory.

A residential building in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had fought shelter, was among the places hit. Medical personnel at Nasser Hospital said they received at least 12 dead and 40 wounded.

The bombardments came after Israel agreed Wednesday to allow Egypt to deliver limited humanitarian aid to Gaza, the first crack in a punishing 11-day siege. Many among Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have cut down to one meal a day and resorted to drinking dirty water.

Following early Thursday’s air strikes, sirens wailed as emergency crews rushed to rescue survivors from a building where many residents were believed trapped under misshapen bed frames, broken furniture and cement chunks.

A small, soot-covered child, unconscious and dangling in the arms of a rescue worker, was taken out of a damaged building and rushed toward a waiting ambulance.

– The Associated Press

6:17 a.m. ET

Israeli air strike kills senior Hamas leader and family members: Hamas media

An Israeli strike killed the head of the Hamas-led National Security Forces, Jehad Mheisen, and members of his family in their house, a Hamas-aligned news agency said on Thursday.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many of his relatives were killed in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in northern Gaza City. The National Security Forces is a paramilitary organization in Gaza taken over by Hamas after its 2007 seizure of the strip.

– Reuters, the Associated Press

5:40 a.m. ET

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits Israel

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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has arrived in Israel at the start of a two-day trip aimed at showing solidarity with the country and preventing the crisis from escalating.

Sunak is holding talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog before travelling to other regional capitals.

After landing at Ben Gurion Airport, Sunak said the people of Israel had “suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism, and I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you.”

Sunak also stressed the need to provide aid to Gazans.

“Palestinians are victims of what Hamas has done. It’s important that we continue to provide humanitarian access,” he said.

The U.K. is pushing for the opening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt to allow aid to get in and foreign nationals to leave. After a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday, Israel said it had agreed to allow limited humanitarian aid into Gaza, and Biden said Egypt had agreed to open the crossing to up to 20 trucks.

– The Associated Press, Reuters

4:44 a.m. ET

Egypt repairing roads at Gaza crossing ahead of aid delivery

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Machinery to repair roads has been sent through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into the Gaza Strip in preparation for the delivery of some of the aid stockpiled in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, two security sources said on Thursday.

Rafah is the only crossing not controlled by Israel but has been out of operation since the first days of the conflict in Gaza following Israeli bombardments on the Palestinian side of the border.

The United States and Egypt have been pushing for a deal with Israel to get aid delivered to Gaza, and the White House said on Wednesday that it had been agreed for up to 20 trucks to pass through, with hopes for more trucks later.

Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents depended on aid before the current conflict started on Oct. 7, about 100 trucks daily were providing humanitarian relief to the enclave, according to the United Nations.

More than 100 trucks were waiting close to the crossing on the Egyptian side on Thursday, though it was not expected that aid would enter before Friday, Egyptian security sources said. More aid is being held in the Egyptian city of Al Arish, about 45 km from Rafah.

On Wednesday, after talks with U.S. President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel would not block aid for civilians entering Gaza from Egypt, as long as those supplies do not reach Hamas.

It said it would continue a blockade of humanitarian aid from Israel into Gaza until hostages held by Hamas were returned.

– Reuters

4:40 a.m. ET

Top Hamas leader arrested in large Israeli raid

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A senior Hamas leader was arrested in the West Bank early Thursday, hours after he gave an interview to The Globe and Mail.

Israeli and Palestinian media reported that Sheik Hassan Yousef, the top political leader of Hamas in the West Bank, was arrested as part of a large-scale Israeli raid into Ramallah, Hebron and other cities that saw five people killed and dozens of people detained. He was placed under administrative detention, a method used by Israeli security forces to detain someone without trial, and for reasons that are kept secret.

On Wednesday, Sheik Yousef told The Globe and Mail in an exclusive interview that he believed “mistakes” may have been made during the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion of Israel that left more than 1,400 Israelis dead. The assault prompted a furious Israeli backlash that has already killed more than 3,400 Palestinians as Israel has laid siege to the Gaza Strip and pummelled it with air strikes.

He said he had no foreknowledge of the attack, which he said went off the rails when more and more militants – including some not controlled by Hamas – entered Israel after the border fence was breached by Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.

Sheik Yousef told The Globe that he believed Hamas would be willing to release the women, children and foreigners among the estimated 200 hostages who were taken to Gaza following the invasion – if Israel would agree to a 24-hour ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to reach the strip.

“We have hostages who are our guests, and we don’t have an issue with these hostages,” he said, speaking at his family home in Ramallah. He was responding to a question from The Globe about why Hamas was holding people like Vivian Silver – a 74-year-old grandmother and peace activist with roots in Winnipeg. “When the circumstances allow, we will release them.”

– Mark MacKinnon

4:03 a.m. ET

A ‘thin line’ between freedom of speech and ‘freedom of hate,’ says Israeli ambassador to Canada

Israel’s envoy to Canada says it is important for democracies to assess when a line has been crossed between freedom of speech and what he calls “freedom of hate.”

Iddo Moed, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, spoke generally about what he sees as a “thin line” between the two in an interview with The Canadian Press.

On Tuesday night, pro-Palestinian protesters marching through downtown Ottawa made their way to the front of a convention centre, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other federal leaders were speaking at a conference on antisemitism organized by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

The scene outside prompted organizers to direct attendees to leave through a back entrance and to exercise caution when going outside.

Speaking broadly, Moed said on Wednesday that there is a “distinction between freedom of speech and freedom of hate.”

“I don’t think that democracies allow people to hate and to incite, and I think that that is something that is looked at very carefully in many places, including Canada,” he said.

He added that it is “perfectly fine” if people feel strongly about support for Palestinians.

“The only issue is, I think that we, as democracies, should look at … when is a line crossed that is between supporting a cause and between changing our values in a way that incites hatred and violence and even glorification of horrendous terrorist attacks.

“That’s very, very important.”

– The Canadian Press

3:58 a.m. ET

Evidence shows Hamas militants likely used some North Korean weapons in attack on Israel

Hamas fighters likely fired North Korean weapons during their Oct. 7 assault on Israel, a militant video and weapons seized by Israel show, despite Pyongyang’s denials that it arms the militant group.

South Korean officials, two experts on North Korean arms and an Associated Press analysis of weapons captured on the battlefield by Israel point toward Hamas using Pyongyang’s F-7 rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-fired weapon that fighters typically use against armoured vehicles.

The evidence shines a light on the murky world of the illicit arms shipments that sanction-battered North Korea uses as a way to fund its own conventional and nuclear weapons programs.

Rocket-propelled grenade launchers fire a single warhead and can be quickly reloaded, making them valuable weapons for guerrilla forces in running skirmishes with heavy vehicles. The F-7 has been documented in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, said N.R. Jenzen-Jones, a weapons expert who works as the director of the consultancy Armament Research Services.

“North Korea has long supported Palestinian militant groups, and North Korean arms have previously been documented amongst interdicted supplies,” Jenzen-Jones told the AP.

Hamas has published images of their fighters with a launcher with a rocket-propelled grenade with a distinctive red stripe across its warhead, and other design elements matching the F-7, said Matt Schroeder, a senior researcher with Small Arms Survey who wrote a guide to Pyongyang’s light weapons.

“It is not a surprise to see North Korean weapons with Hamas,” Schroeder said.

– The Associated Press