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©(Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)
The war between Israel and Hamas, now in its 90th day as of Thursday, was triggered by a bloody and unprecedented attack carried out by the Palestinian Islamist movement on October 7 within Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip.
Approximately 1,140 people, predominantly civilians, died in this attack, according to an AFP count based on the latest Israeli assessment. About 250 individuals were abducted and taken to Gaza, with 129 still held in the enclave, as reported by the military.
Following the October 7 attack, Israel vowed to "annihilate" Hamas, conducting airstrikes, imposing a siege on the Palestinian territory and launching a ground operation since October 27.
As of Thursday, the Gaza Health Ministry reported 22,438 fatalities since the start of the Israeli bombardments, the majority being civilians.
Israeli bombing killed dozens of people overnight in Gaza, the health ministry of the Palestinian territory said Thursday, as regional tensions have surged over the almost three-month-old war.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to head to the Middle East, a US official said on condition of anonymity, the top diplomat’s fourth trip to the region since the Hamas attack of October 7 triggered the bloodiest ever Gaza war.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/israel-hamaswar/213409"]
A US strike in Baghdad on Thursday killed a military commander of the Hashd al-Shaabi, an ex-paramilitary faction of the grouping said, with an Iraqi security official reporting two deaths in a drone attack.
The Iraqi government, supported by pro-Tehran factions, decried an “aggression.” It accused a US-led international coalition but stopped short of pinning the blame on Washington, as regional tensions soar amid the Israel-Hamas war.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/213410"]
Several Gulf Arab states on Thursday strongly condemned comments by two Israeli ministers calling for Palestinians to emigrate from the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday called for promoting a solution to encourage the emigration of Gaza’s residents. He also called for the establishment of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory, a day after far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made similar comments.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/213516"]
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads back to the Middle East on Thursday on his fourth trip since the Israel-Hamas war, expecting tough talks as he presses for immediate new aid for battered Gaza and de-escalation in the region.
The top US diplomat will visit both Israel and the West Bank, home of the Palestinian Authority, and five Arab countries—Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the State Department said.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/213550"]
Approximately 1,140 people, predominantly civilians, died in this attack, according to an AFP count based on the latest Israeli assessment. About 250 individuals were abducted and taken to Gaza, with 129 still held in the enclave, as reported by the military.
Following the October 7 attack, Israel vowed to "annihilate" Hamas, conducting airstrikes, imposing a siege on the Palestinian territory and launching a ground operation since October 27.
As of Thursday, the Gaza Health Ministry reported 22,438 fatalities since the start of the Israeli bombardments, the majority being civilians.
Israeli Bombardments Persist
Israeli bombing killed dozens of people overnight in Gaza, the health ministry of the Palestinian territory said Thursday, as regional tensions have surged over the almost three-month-old war.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to head to the Middle East, a US official said on condition of anonymity, the top diplomat’s fourth trip to the region since the Hamas attack of October 7 triggered the bloodiest ever Gaza war.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/israel-hamaswar/213409"]
Iran Proxy Targeted
A US strike in Baghdad on Thursday killed a military commander of the Hashd al-Shaabi, an ex-paramilitary faction of the grouping said, with an Iraqi security official reporting two deaths in a drone attack.
The Iraqi government, supported by pro-Tehran factions, decried an “aggression.” It accused a US-led international coalition but stopped short of pinning the blame on Washington, as regional tensions soar amid the Israel-Hamas war.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/213410"]
Forced Emigration
Several Gulf Arab states on Thursday strongly condemned comments by two Israeli ministers calling for Palestinians to emigrate from the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday called for promoting a solution to encourage the emigration of Gaza’s residents. He also called for the establishment of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory, a day after far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made similar comments.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/213516"]
Blinken on Tour
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads back to the Middle East on Thursday on his fourth trip since the Israel-Hamas war, expecting tough talks as he presses for immediate new aid for battered Gaza and de-escalation in the region.
The top US diplomat will visit both Israel and the West Bank, home of the Palestinian Authority, and five Arab countries—Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the State Department said.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/213550"]
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