Israel-Hamas war updates: Israeli bombing rocks Gaza through the night

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Thank you for joining us. Our team in Doha is bringing you the latest developments from Tuesday here.

The Israeli military says it launched attacks on more than 200 locations in the Gaza Strip overnight, including the Rimal neighbourhood in Gaza City as well as Khan Younis city.

The military said the locations hit included a weapons storage site inside a mosque as well as an apartment used by Hamas’s anti-tank guided missile forces.

The Israeli military says it has regained “full control” of the Gaza fence that was breached by the Hamas gunmen who infiltrated into southern Israel on Saturday.

Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israeli military, said no Hamas fighter has crossed the fence over the past 24 hours, but did not discount the possibility that some of the gunmen were still within the Israeli-controlled areas.

Hagari added that the military is now planting mines in the parts where the barrier was toppled to prevent further infiltrations.

The Israeli military is planning to send out officers to inform more than 100 families that their relatives are being held captive by Hamas in Gaza, according to The Times of Israel.

The newspaper cited Israeli army radio in its report.

The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, has told CNN that the number of hostages held by Hamas is estimated to be between 100 and 150 people.

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza has called for the opening of a “safe corridor to ensure the entry of urgent medical aid” into the territory’s hospitals, which are now overwhelmed with the dead and wounded.

It said Israeli forces targeted four ambulances east of the city of Khan Younis overnight and that bombing of the city of Beit Hanoun has put its only hospital out of service.

“There continues to be a lack of electricity to operate the health care system. This threatens the lives of all sick and injured people,” the health ministry added in a separate statement.

We are getting reports from multiple media outlets in Thailand that the number of Thai nationals killed during Hamas’s attacks in Israel has risen to 18.

The Khaosod Online website is also reporting that 11 Thai nationals, including 10 men and one woman, are still being held as hostages by armed Palestinian groups.

The report also quoted officials as saying that more than 3,000 Thais have asked to return home due to the conflict. The first 15 Thai workers are due to arrive in Thailand on October 12.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken with his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, and reaffirmed Washington’s support to secure the release of all hostages held by Hamas.

I spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen about how the U.S. is supporting Israel as it defends itself against Hamas’ terrorist attack and reaffirmed efforts to secure the immediate release of all hostages.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 10, 2023

Israeli officials say Hamas is holding dozens of people captive, including the elderly and children.

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said the death toll from Israeli air attacks on the territory has risen to 704, including 143 children and 105 women.

The ministry said the attacks have wounded some 4,000 other Palestinians.

Demonstrations in support of Palestine and Israel have continued across the world over the last 24 hours.

Pro-Palestine rallies took place in cities including Cape Town in South Africa, Athens in Greece and Sydney in Australia.

KHAYELITSHA, CAPE TOWN: South Africans showing solidarity for the people of Palestine #World4Palestine #ANC4Palestine @MYANC pic.twitter.com/m90kJgg0Zv

— #Africa4Palestine (@Africa4Pal) October 8, 2023

Rival rallies in support of both Israel and Palestine took place in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires and the UK capital London.

It’s almost 7:00am (04:00 GMT) in Gaza and Israel, and residents there are waking up to a fourth day of hostilities between the Israeli military and Hamas.

Here’s a quick recap of the developments from overnight:

• Israel continued its relentless bombardment of Gaza throughout the night, hitting residential buildings and killing at least two Palestinian journalists.
• The death toll now stands at 687 Palestinians in Gaza, more than 900 people in Israel, at least 17 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and four Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
• The Israeli military identified its soldier killed in clashes near the border with Lebanon as Lieutenant Colonel Alim Abdallah.
• The UN humanitarian agency said more than 187,518 Palestinians have fled their homes in Gaza, with more than 137,000 taking shelter in some 84 schools.
• Foreign nationals from countries including Argentina, Cambodia and the United States were among those reported killed in Israel.
• The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q Brown, has warned Iran “not to get involved” in the war.
• Indonesia’s foreign ministry has told its citizens to “immediately” leave Israel and the Palestinian territories. Several airlines have already suspended their flights to Israel. 
  

  

The spokesman for the White House National Security Council fought to hold back tears during a CNN interview as he discussed the images of Israeli victims of Hamas’s unprecedented attack.

“It’s very difficult to look at these images,” John Kirby told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “The human cost. And these are human beings. They are family members, they are friends, they are loved ones.”

NSC's John Kirby chokes up when speaking to @jaketapper about the images coming out of Israel. pic.twitter.com/BkknrKCWPI

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) October 9, 2023

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who joined a solidarity gathering for Israel, has condemned demonstrations in support of Hamas in his country.

“I strongly condemn the demonstrations that have taken place, and are taking place, across the country in support of Hamas’ attacks on Israel,” Trudeau said in a post on X.

“The glorification of violence is never acceptable in Canada,” he added.

The Reuters news agency reported that when asked if Trudeau made a distinction between pro-Palestinian protesters and demonstrators supporting Hamas, his office declined to comment.

The glorification of violence is never acceptable in Canada – by any group or in any situation. I strongly condemn the demonstrations that have taken place, and are taking place, across the country in support of Hamas’ attacks on Israel. Let’s stand united against acts of terror.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 9, 2023

The Palestinian Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades says its fighters are battling Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian armed group, in a series of messages on the Telegram app, said its fighters have “directly targeted” Israeli forces in Nablus as well as Israeli vehicles in Jenin.

Al Jazeera could not immediately independently verify the reports.

The residents of Gaza spent a third night in terror and darkness as Israel kept up its relentless bombardment of the coastal enclave. Palestinian groups also launched rockets, setting off sirens in southern Israel.

Here are some pictures from the skies above Gaza overnight.

The White House in the US capital and the Sydney Opera House have lit up in blue and white – the colours of the Israeli flag – in a show of support for the country.

The lights display at Australia’s Sydney Opera House came as more than 1,000 people waving Palestinian flags gathered in front of the building in support of Palestine.

We have received reports from witnesses in Gaza that five people, including at least two journalists, have been killed in an Israeli air attack on a residential building in western parts of the enclave.

The Turkish Anadolu Agency has identified the two journalists as Saeed Al-Taweel and Mohammad Sobh. We will bring you more on this soon.

It is important to note that the Committee to Protect Journalists reported earlier on Monday evening that three other Palestinian journalists have been killed since the breakout of hostilities. One has been wounded and two others have been reported missing since Saturday.

Indonesia’s foreign ministry has urged its citizens in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to leave the areas immediately.

“Considering the latest security situation, and for the safety of Indonesian citizens, the Indonesian government urges Indonesian citizens residing in the Palestinian territories or Israel to immediately leave these areas,” the ministry said in a statement.

Indonesians who were planning to visit both areas were also advised to cancel their trips.

The UN humanitarian relief agency says mass displacement has escalated in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, with more than 187,518 Palestinians believed to have fled their homes.

The number is expected to increase as Israeli bombardment of the enclave continues.

Some 137,427 of the displaced people have taken shelter in 83 schools. Another 41,000, whose homes have been destroyed or damaged, are being hosted by relatives and neighbours, the OCHA said in its latest update.

The mother of an Israeli man who went missing after attending a music festival near Gaza told Al Jazeera she wants her son to “come back, healthy and alive”.

Sgal Cohen’s son Elya, 27, was last seen in a picture on social media, purportedly at a hospital in Gaza. Cohen says she has not slept for two days.

“I knew he was going to the party, with his friend, his girlfriend but I didn’t know where is the party,” she said. “It is very difficult to think about it; to eat, to drink, to sleep. I don’t sleep for two days. I always thinking, where is he? What happened to him? Is he OK?”

The acronym “HAMAS” stands for “Islamic Resistance Movement” (Harakat a-Muqawama al-Islamiya) and in Arabic, “hamas” means “zeal”.

The group politically controls the Gaza Strip, a territory of about 365sq km (141sq miles), which is home to more than 2 million people but is blockaded by Israel.

Hamas has been in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007 after a brief war against Fatah forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

You can read more about the group here.