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The Israeli military has said its ground forces are “expanding their activity” in the Gaza Strip, as lines of communication in the enclave have gone down.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the army’s spokesman, said aerial attacks had been targeting Hamas tunnels and other targets.
“In addition to the attacks that we carried out in recent days, ground forces are expanding their activity this evening,” he said on Friday evening. “The IDF is acting with great force … to achieve the objectives of the war.”
Israel has amassed hundreds of thousands of troops along the border with Gaza ahead of an expected ground offensive against the Hamas militant group.
Airstrikes have intensified since nightfall and the territory’s internet and mobile communications services collapsed on Friday evening.
Meanwhile, the US said its fighter jets struck two Iranian facilities in Syria, after repeated attacks on US coalition forces in the region by an Iran-backed militia in the past week.
The strikes were not carried out in coordination with Israel, which has been engaged in its own clashes with Iran-backed Hezbollah forces on the border with Lebanon, a US official said.
Key Points
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1698428629
Israel ground forces ‘expanding activity’ and communication goes down
The Israeli military has said its ground forces are “expanding their activity” in the Gaza Strip tonight, as lines of communication in the enclave have gone down.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the army’s spokesman, said aerial attacks had been targeting Hamas tunnels and other targets.
“In addition to the attacks that we carried out in recent days, ground forces are expanding their activity this evening,” he said. “The IDF is acting with great force … to achieve the objectives of the war.”
Israel has amassed hundreds of thousands of troops along the border with Gaza ahead of an expected ground offensive against the Hamas militant group.
Airstrikes have intensified since nightfall and the territory’s internet and mobile communications services collapsed on Friday evening.
Sam Rkaina27 October 2023 18:43
1698458700
World is ‘in a dark hour’, says Pope Francis
Pope Francis has led special Friday evening prayers in St Peter’s Basilica for a world “in a dark hour” and in “great danger” from what he described as the folly of war.
Francis delivered his remarks in the form of a prayer to the Virgin Mary and did not mention by name the conflict that exploded when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October and Israel retaliated by sealing off the Gaza Strip and battering the Palestinian territory with air strikes.
He said he was praying for “especially those countries and regions at war” and he pleaded with Mary to “take the initiative for us, in these times rent by conflicts and laid waste by the fire of arms”.
“This is a dark hour,” Francis said in a subdued voice, in his remarks in the basilica.
Pope Francis gestures as he leads a prayer for peace inside St Peter’s Basilica
(AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Andy Gregory28 October 2023 03:05
1698454980
UN chief urges change in how aid to Gaza is inspected
The UN secretary-general has appealed for the procedures for inspecting aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip from Egypt through the Rafah crossing to be “adjusted to allow many more trucks to enter Gaza without delay”.
“The humanitarian system in Gaza is facing a total collapse with unimaginable consequences for more than 2 million civilians,” Antonio Guterres said.
The US is leading negotiations with Israel, Egypt and the UN to try and create a sustained delivery mechanism for aid to Gaza, but they are wrangling over procedures for inspecting aid which see each truck offload its cargo at a checkpoint to be inspected for possible arms and ammunition.
“The verification system for the movement of goods through the Rafah crossing must be adjusted to allow many more trucks to enter Gaza without delay,” Mr Guterres said.
Before the conflict about 500 trucks a day were crossing into Gaza, but in recent days, an average of only 12 trucks a day have entered, he said.
Describing the situation in Gaza as “desperate and dramatic” the U.N. chief said the United Nations will not be able to continue delivering assistance inside the enclave “without an immediate and fundamental shift in how aid is going in.”
Andy Gregory28 October 2023 02:03
1698454135
Buses loaded with arrested activists after Grand Central protest
Graeme Massie28 October 2023 01:48
1698451140
Footage: Multiple explosions seen and sirens heard on Israel-Gaza border
Multiple explosions seen and sirens heard on Israel-Gaza border
Andy Gregory28 October 2023 00:59
1698449060
Jewish Voice for Peace stages ‘takeover’ of NYC’s Grand Central Station
HAPPENING NOW: we’re at the @jvplive takeover of Grand Central Station to demand #CeasefireNOW.
As the Israeli government starves and bombs and invades the people of Gaza in the dark, the actions we take these next days and weeks will define our lifetimes. pic.twitter.com/Xhh1aKuv2F
— IfNotNow (@IfNotNowOrg) October 27, 2023
Graeme Massie28 October 2023 00:24
1698447660
US supports humanitarian pause in Gaza
The United States supports a pause in Israeli military operations in Gaza to get humanitarian aid, fuel and electricity to civilians, White House spokesperson John Kirby has said.
Mr Kirby also said that if getting hostages out of Gaza requires a localised temporary pause, then the United States is in support of that.
“We absolutely believe that that if a pause can be effected to allow for the … release of hostages, then that is something we absolutely would support and we believe Israel should support it,” Mr Kirby said.
“We’ve been having active conversations with them about that.”
Andy Gregory28 October 2023 00:01
1698445934
Flares fired by the Israeli army light up the sky east of Khan Yunis on the southern Gaza Strip on October 27, 2023 as battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement continue
(AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT – Flares fired by the Israeli army light up the sky east of Khan Yunis on the southern Gaza Strip on October 27, 2023 as battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement continue.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Graeme Massie27 October 2023 23:32
1698445800
British citizens trapped under Israel’s bombing of Gaza slam ‘shameful’ lack of support from UK government
British citizens trapped under Israel’s ferocious bombing of Gaza have slammed the “shameful” lack of support from the British government that has failed to push for evacuation or a humanitarian ceasefire.
There are believed to be 200 Britons registered with the UK authorities in the besieged enclave, where food, water, fuel and medical supplies are fast running out.
Among them is Manchester resident Mohammed Ghalayini, who said Israeli air strikes have killed 37 members of his extended family and forced him to be displaced four times.
He was visiting family in Gaza when Israel unleashed its heaviest-ever air raids in retaliation for Hamas’s bloody 7 October attack on southern Israel.
Despite struggling to access food, water, and other supplies the 44-year-old said he has only received one communique from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: a single email 10 days ago.
(Supplied)
Sam Rkaina27 October 2023 23:30
1698445501
Diplomat contradicts DeSantis claims on shipping weapons to Israel
Governor has helped coordinate evacuation flights.