Visuals of the damage caused in the city of Gaza by Israeli Army attacks.
Israeli forces await 'green light' for ground offensive in Gaza | Top Points
Israel has amassed a huge military presence along the Gaza border ahead of a possible ground attack into Gaza. The defence force announced that they are prepared for a multifaceted offensive.
A view shows the remains of a Palestinian house destroyed in Israeli strikes in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday. (Photo: Reuters)
Jerusalem,UPDATED: Oct 16, 2023 02:42 IST
The Israeli military's chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, on Sunday told soldiers to be prepared to enter Gaza and go to places "where Hamas was preparing, acting, planning, launching". His statement came as Israel readies to launch a possible ground attack on Gaza.
Earlier today, the Israeli military said that it was awaiting a "political decision" on the ground invasion. The Israeli army had given civilians in northern Gaza a 3-hour deadline to vacate the region and move south.
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Senior army officials have warned that the area would be turned into an "active combat zone" once the operation is launched.
Meanwhile, Israel restarted water supply in southern Gaza after talks between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and US President Biden, said Israel's Energy Minister. This came days after Israel had announced a 'total blockade' on Gaza, cutting off the supply of food, fuel, water and electricity.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Sunday said that nine rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory and the IDF were able to intercept five rockets.
However, the armed wing of Hamas claimed that it had launched a barrage of 20 rockets from Lebanon, targeting two settlements situated to the north of Israel, as per Reuters.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) has earlier announced that they are prepared for a "coordinated" attack in the Gaza Strip involving air, ground, and naval forces. The army's statement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met soldiers near the Gaza border and said, "more is coming".
Tens of thousands of Palestinians continue to flee northern Gaza, fearing a ground offensive by Israel, and the combined death toll has crossed 4,000.
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ISRAEL-GAZA WAR: TOP DEVELOPMENTS
Ahead of Israel's ground invasion of Gaza, the Israeli military's chief of staff Herzi Halevi on Sunday told soldiers that their "responsibility" was now to enter Gaza.
"Our responsibility now is to enter Gaza, to go to the places where Hamas is preparing, acting, planning, launching. Attack them everywhere, every commander, every operative, destroy infrastructure. In one word, to win," he said, as per the Times of Israel.
The Israeli army announced that it has prepared for a 'coordinated' attack on the Gaza Strip in Palestine, involving air, ground, and naval forces. The latest army statement said it is "preparing to implement a wide range of offensive operative plans". Israel is reportedly planning to send 10,000 troops to capture Gaza City.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Sunday gave a 3-hour deadline to northern Gaza residents to vacate and move south. "We want to inform you that the IDF will not carry out any operations along this route from 10 AM to 1 PM. During this window, please take the opportunity to move southward from northern Gaza," the IDF said in a tweet.
As Israel plans to step up the offensive, Iran has warned that if Israel continues with "war crimes and genocide", the situation could spiral out of control with "far-reaching consequences." Top Iranian officials said Tehran will intervene and Israel could face “a huge earthquake” of resistance if they conduct a ground offensive in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, has met in Doha with Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh, according to Iran’s state-run media.
US President Joe Biden on Sunday said in a post on the social media platform, X, that he spoke to Palestinian Authority President Abbas to condemn Hamas’ attack on Israel and reiterate that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination.
Biden further wrote, "I assured him that we're working with partners in the region to ensure humanitarian supplies reach civilians in Gaza and to prevent the conflict from widening."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday confirmed plans to reopen the Rafah Crossing, which connects Egypt and Gaza. He also revealed that the United States is actively collaborating with the United Nations, Egypt, and Israel to establish a mechanism that will facilitate the delivery of much-needed assistance to those in Gaza who are in dire need, as per a Reuters report.
As per the latest count, Palestinian deaths have surpassed those of previous wars in Gaza. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 2,670 Palestinians have been killed since the latest fighting erupted. This surpasses the toll of the third war between Israel and Hamas in 2014, which killed 2,251 Palestinians.
In Israel, more than 1,400 people have been killed, and 3,227 others have been injured in the attacks by Hamas.
Tens of thousands of people continued to flee from North Gaza to the South, fearing an imminent Israeli attack. According to an Israel Defence Forces spokesman, more than 400,000 people have evacuated Gaza to the South before it becomes an "active combat zone". He warned that it will be a "difficult and dangerous" environment for those who choose to stay behind.
Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza ahead of possible ground attack by Israel. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has announced that it will hold an urgent meeting on coming Wednesday to discuss the Israel-Hamas war and the attack on Gaza.
The heads of the Arab League and African Union in a joint statement on Sunday said that Israel's planned ground invasion of Gaza "could lead to a genocide of unprecedented proportions", reported AFP.
Water pipes in southern Gaza had been turned back on days after Israel's blockade on Gaza. Israel's Energy Minister said that the decision was a result of an agreement between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and US President Biden.
This came days after Israel cut off the flow of food, medicine, water and electricity to Gaza as part of its "total blockade" on the area in retaliation to Hamas' attacks on October 7.