Live: Leaders of US, UK, Germany, Italy and France express support for Israel

2:43pm: Hamas attacks in southern Israel kill more than 1,000 people, says Israeli embassy

The death toll from Hamas’s attack on Israel this Saturday has now exceeded 1,000, the Israeli embassy in the US said on Tuesday.

2:33pm: EU, Gulf states urge ‘sustained financial support’ for Palestinians

The European Union and Gulf Cooperation Council called for sustained aid for the Palestinian Territories on Tuesday following concerns that it could be axed after the Hamas attack on Israel.

“They stressed the importance of sustained financial support for UNRWA (the UN relief agency for Palestinians) and to continue humanitarian and development support for the Palestinians in the occupied territories,” said a joint declaration read out by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

2:27pm: Hamas armed wing tells residents of Israel’s Ashkelon to leave in hours

Hamas armed wing spokesman Abu Ubaida told residents of Israel’s port of Ashkelon to leave the area by 5pm (1600 GMT) on Tuesday, without giving any further details.

2:16pm: Putin says Israel-Hamas war shows ‘failure’ of US Middle East policy

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday the Israel-Hamas conflict showed the “failure” of Washington’s Middle East policy and called the creation of “an independent sovereign Palestinian state” a “necessity”.

“I think many people would agree with me that it’s a clear example of the failure of US politics in the Middle East,” Putin said while meeting Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Moscow.

1:45pm: First wave of US security assistance is en route to Israel, White House says

The first tranche of security assistance is on its way to Israel and more US assistance is to come, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told MSNBC in an interview on Tuesday.

1:43pm: Red Cross offers help over those missing in Israel, Gaza conflict

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was ready to help reunite families and called for all hostages to be freed immediately.

“Killing civilians and ill treatment are prohibited by the Geneva Conventions. In addition, the conventions demand that the wounded and sick are cared for,” said ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric.

“People detained must be treated humanely and with dignity. Hostage-taking is prohibited under international humanitarian law and hostages should be immediately released unharmed.”

She said the ICRC, which has been permanently present in Israel and the Palestinian Territories since 1967, was “ready to do everything we can to help, including in our role as a neutral intermediary”.

1:35pm: Hamas has sole responsibility for conflict with Israel, says Italy’s foreign minister

Hamas is solely responsible for the current conflict between the Islamist organisation and Israel, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Tuesday.

Speaking in parliament, Tajani said the Italian government was working hard to repatriate its nationals from Israel amid rising tensions in the region.

1:28pm: Israeli airlines add flights to bring reservists back home

El Al and Israir Airlines have added more flights to bring reservists back to the country and restricted flights arriving at Ben Gurion Airport’s Terminal 3 due to security concerns, said Israel’s airports authority.

The flights come after Israel said on Monday it had called up an unprecedented 300,000 reservists and warned residents of the Gaza Strip to evacuate in a sign it could be planning a ground assault.

While many major carriers have cancelled flights to and from Israel, Israel’s national carriers have looked to ramp up capacity, at least in coming days.

On its website, Israir said it was offering rescue flights from Larnaca in Turkey, Corfu in Greece and Batumi in Georgia to help bring Israelis back to the country.

It said its flight schedule could be reduced in coming days as foreign crews employed by Israir were asked to leave the country while some Israeli staff were also recruited to fight.

1:10pm: German prosecutor opens murder and kidnapping probe into Hamas

Germany has launched an investigation into members of the Islamist organisation Hamas for suspected murder, manslaughter and hostage-taking, said a spokesperson for the federal public prosecutor.

Prosecutors “have opened an investigation against unidentified members of the radical Palestinian Islamist organisation Hamas,” a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office told AFP.

Under German law, prosecutors are compelled to investigate suspected crimes abroad if they involve German citizens.

The German foreign ministry confirmed on Monday that German citizens were among those kidnapped by Hamas over the weekend.

The Bild newspaper first reported on the investigation and said the families of those kidnapped had appealed to the German government for help.

12:16pm: Macron slams Iran’s praise for Hamas attack on Israel

French President Emmanuel Macron has said Iran’s condoning of the Hamas attack on Israel was unacceptable and that France was looking into to establish whether it was directly involved.

“I have no comment to make about the direct involvement of Iran for which we have no formal proof, but it’s clear that the public comments by Iranian authorities were unacceptable… and that it is likely that Hamas was offered help,” he said.

“But I will remain careful on that point until we have stabilised intelligence,” Macron added in a news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

In his first televised speech since the attack, Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed the “supporters of the Zionist regime (Israel) and some people in the usurping regime have been spreading rumours over the past two or three days, including that Islamic Iran was behind this action. They are wrong,” he said.

Khamenei however praised the attack against Israel. “We kiss the hands of those who planned the attack on the Zionist regime,” he said.

11:19am: Nearly 200,000 displaced in Gaza, says UN

Nearly 200,000 people, or nearly a tenth of the population, have fled their homes in the Gaza Strip since the start of hostilities, said the UN’s human rights office, warning that the enclave is poised for water and electricity shortages due to an Israeli blockade.

“Displacement has escalated dramatically across the Gaza Strip, reaching more than 187,500 people since Saturday. Most are taking shelter in schools,” Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson, told a Geneva briefing, saying further displacement was expected.

A World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson said it had reported 13 attacks on health facilities in Gaza since the weekend.

11:12am: Two more French nationals killed in Hamas attack

Two more French nationals were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel, said the French foreign ministry, taking the death toll of French victims to four.

“France mourns the tragic death of two more French nationals, bringing the number of French victims of the terrorist attacks by Hamas to four,” said the French foreign ministry in a statement, adding that 13 French nationals remain missing.

10:59am: WHO calls for humanitarian corridor into Gaza

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor into the Gaza Strip amid ongoing Israeli military air strikes on the blockaded enclave.

“WHO is calling for an end to the violence …  A humanitarian corridor is needed to reach people with critical medical supplies,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told a press briefing in Geneva.

10:40am: Total siege of Gaza ‘prohibited’ under international law, says UN rights chief

Israel’s total siege of the Gaza Strip is banned under international law, said the United Nations human rights chief.

“The imposition of sieges that endanger the lives of civilians by depriving them of goods essential for their survival is prohibited under international humanitarian law,” Volker Turk said in a statement.

Citing information gathered by his office, Turk said Israeli air operations have struck residential buildings, including large tower blocks, as well as schools and UN buildings across Gaza, resulting in civilian casualties.

“International humanitarian law is clear: the obligation to take constant care to spare the civilian population and civilian objects remains applicable throughout the attacks,” said Turk. 

10:26am: Three Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza strike, says press union

Three Palestinian journalists were killed early Tuesday in an Israeli air strike that hit a residential building near Gaza City’s fishing port, a media union and an official said.

The journalists’ syndicate announced “the martyrdom of three journalists in the Gaza Strip in the ongoing Israeli aggression”.

The head of Gaza’s Hamas-run government’s media office, Salameh Maarouf, identified the three as Said al-Taweel, Mohammed Sobboh and Hisham Nawajhah.

10:20am: Israel to arm volunteer guards in border communities, Jewish-Arab towns

Israel will begin distributing thousands of assault rifles to volunteer first-response teams in border communities and mixed Jewish-Arab towns, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a social media post.

He said 4,000 Israeli-made rifles would be given out in the first round, with at least another 6,000 to follow. Volunteers would also eventually be equipped with helmets and flak jackets, he added.

10:17am: Iran’s Khamenei denies involvement in Hamas attack on Israel

Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has denied any Iranian involvement in Saturday’s shock Hamas attack on Israel despite its strong support for the Palestinian militant group.

In his first televised speech since the attack, Khamenei claimed the “supporters of the Zionist regime (Israel) and some people in the usurping regime have been spreading rumours over the past two or three days, including that Islamic Iran was behind this action. They are wrong,” he said.

Khamenei however praised the attack against Israel. “We kiss the hands of those who planned the attack on the Zionist regime,” he said.

9:45am: EU plunges into diplomatic row over suspension of Palestinian aid announcement

EU foreign ministers are meeting Tuesday to discuss the bloc’s development aid to the Palestinian Territories following a diplomatic row over an announcement of the suspension of aid by a Hungarian commissioner.

On Monday, Oliver Varhelyi, EU commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, said that all develoment aid for the  Palestinian Territoriess would be “immediately suspended”.

“It’s unclear right now if this was ever a policy, or if this was one particular commissioner getting ahead of himself and announcing something for which he didn’t actually have the authority to announce,” explained FRANCE 24’s Dave Keating, reporting from Brussels.

Varhelyi is a Hungarian and a close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Keating explained.

“Several member states reacted angrily” to Varhelyi’s statement ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, said Keating. “The Irish government put out an extremely strong statement saying that Commissioner Varhelyi doesn’t have the authority to do this and saying they oppose taking away aid from the Palestinians,” he added.

9:15am: France, Spain not in favour of suspending EU aid to Palestinians

France is not in favour of suspending aid that benefits Palestinians directly in response to Hamas’s recent deadly attack on Israel, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

“We are not in favour of suspending aid that directly benefits the Palestinian people, and we made this clear to the European Commission yesterday,” the ministry said in a statement.

Spanish Acting Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Tuesday morning also said his government opposes a proposed suspension of EU aid to the Palestinian Territories.

“This cooperation must continue, we cannot confuse Hamas, which is on the list of EU’s terrorist groups, with the Palestinian population, or the Palestinian Authority or the United Nations organisations on the ground,” Albares said in an interview with Spanish radio Cadena SER.

He added that the Palestinian Territories will likely need more aid in the near future after Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

EU foreign ministers are meeting later Tuesday to discuss EU funding to the Palestinian Territories.

8:53am: Israeli warplanes pound Gaza City into early morning

Israeli warplanes pounded downtown Gaza City, home to Hamas’s centres of government, with relentless bombardments into early Tuesday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation against the Islamic militant group that would “reverberate for generations”.

The Israeli military said it struck hundreds of Hamas targets in Gaza’s City Rimal densely populated neighborhood, an upscale district of Gaza City that’s home to Hamas ministries, as well as universities, media organisations and the offices of aid organisations.

After hours of nonstop strikes overnight, some Rimal residents left their homes at daybreak to find some buildings torn in half by strikes, while others were reduced to mounds of concrete and rebar. Cars were flattened and trees burned out in moonscapes that had been residential streets.

The military’s heavy bombardment began over the weekend in areas of Gaza bordering Israel, and overnight shifted to the centre of Gaza City.

8:47am: Israel calls up 300,000 reservists, raising regional conflict fears

Israel has called up an unprecedented 300,000 reservists for its “Swords of Iron” campaign. “It’s the largest deployment in such a short time in Israeli history,” said FRANCE 24’s Irris Makler, reporting from Jerusalem.

“What that says is, Israel is either anticipating, or fearing, that this will not just be a war with Gaza. This is a sign to Hezbollah in the north and perhaps to Iran further away that Israel is prepared for a big battle,” explained Makler.

8:16am: Israeli army has ‘more or less restored control’ over Gaza border, bodies of Hamas militants found

Israel’s army has “more or less restored control” over the Gaza border and has found more than 1,500 bodies of Hamas militants in Israel near the border, according to military spokesman Richard Hecht. 

“Approximately 1,500 bodies of Hamas militants were found in Israel around the Gaza Strip,” said Hecht, adding that security forces had “more or less restored control over the border” with Gaza.

“Since last night we know that no one came in … but infiltrations can still happen,” he said.

The army had “nearly completed” evacuation of all the communities around the border, Hecht added.

7:51am: Israeli military amends remarks on Gaza-Egypt border crossing

The Israeli military revised on Tuesday a recommendation by one of its spokespeople that Palestinians fleeing air strikes in the Gaza Strip head to Egypt, saying in a follow-up statement that the main crossing on that border was currently closed.

Briefing foreign reporters, Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hecht said he would advise Palestinian refugees to “get out” through the Rafah crossing on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.

His office then issued a statement. “Clarification: The Rafah crossing was open yesterday, but now it is closed,” it said.

7:41am: Israeli military suggests Gazans fleeing strikes head to Egypt

The Israeli military suggested on Tuesday that Palestinians fleeing its air strikes in the Gaza Strip head to Egypt, which also borders the blockaded enclave.

“I am aware that the Rafah crossing (on the Gaza-Egypt border) is still open,” Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hecht, chief military spokesperson to the foreign media, said in a briefing. “Anyone who can get out, I would advise them to get out.”

7:18am: Australian police investigate pro-Palestinian protest over alleged anti-Semitism

Australian police said on Tuesday they were investigating a pro-Palestinian protest outside Sydney Opera House, after footage emerged of a small group appearing to chant anti-Semitic slogans at the demonstration.

Around 1,000 pro-Palestinian supporters marched through downtown Sydney on Monday evening to the city’s iconic Opera House, which the government had illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag following Saturday’s attacks by Hamas which Israel says killed more than 900.

Unverified footage shared by the Australian Jewish Association and featured on Sky News appeared to show a small group outside the Opera House lighting flares and chanting “gas the Jews”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday called the reports of anti-Semitic slogans “horrific”.

7:12am: Israel planting mines where Gaza fence was breached 

Israel has retaken control of the Gaza border fence breached by Palestinian gunmen and is planting mines in the parts where the barrier was toppled, the chief military spokesperson said on Tuesday.

In remarks aired by Israel’s Army Radio, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said there had been no new infiltrations from Gaza since Monday. In an apparent response to rumours that gunmen used cross-border tunnels, he said the military had no such findings.

6:51am: Blinken discussed US support with Israeli foreign minister

Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed US support for Israel in a call with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, the State Department said in a statement early Tuesday.

Blinken “reaffirmed our efforts to secure the immediate release of all hostages“, the statement said.

Blinken also spoke with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, reiterating their condemnation of Hamas‘s attacks on Israel, the department said in a separate statement.

6:17am: Thailand says 18 of its nationals killed in Israel

Eighteen Thai nationals have been killed in violence in Israel according to the latest available figures, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Jakkapong Sangmanee, Thailand‘s deputy minister of foreign affairs, gave the updated toll and said the government was working to evacuate thousands of Thais away from the conflict. Around 30,000 Thais work in Israel, mostly in agriculture.

Jakkapong said about 3,000 Thais had put in requests to be taken back to Thailand.

3:30am: Trudeau condemns ‘glorification of violence’ in protests after Hamas attacked Israel

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other Canadian authorities on Monday condemned demonstrations across Canada by those they said were glorifying violence by supporting Palestinian Islamist group Hamas’s attack on Israel.

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

3:24am: Hamas official says Iran and Hezbollah had no role in Israel incursion

A senior Hamas official on Monday said only a small number of top commanders inside Gaza knew about the wide-ranging incursion launched into Israel, but that allies like Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah “will join the battle if Gaza is subjected to a war of annihilation.”

3:20am: Pro-Palestinian letter from Harvard students provokes alumni outrage

Prominent Harvard University alumni on Monday denounced a pro-Palestinian statement from students that blamed Israel for violence engulfing the region and urged the university to take action against the signatories.

A coalition of 34 Harvard student organisations said they “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence” following decades of occupation, adding that “the apartheid regime is the only one to blame”.

The organisations signing the letter included Muslim and Palestinian support groups plus others named for a variety of backgrounds and missions including the Harvard Jews for Liberation and the African American Resistance Organisation.

2:50am: Politicians condemn pro-Palestinian rally at Sydney Opera House

Australian political leaders on Tuesday condemned pro-Palestinian protesters who rallied at Sydney’s Opera House, some throwing flares and chanting anti-Israel insults.

Protesters lit red flares outside the Opera House, shouted anti-Semitic slogans and carried banners with messages such as “Where there is apartheid resistance is justified”.

“There is nothing to celebrate from the loss of innocent lives,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a radio interviewer the following morning.

2:16am: Military leaders from US, Israel discuss Hamas attack, Pentagon says

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown Jr spoke on Monday with the Chief of the Israeli General Staff Herzi Halevi, the Pentagon said, adding they discussed Hamas’s attack and steps to strengthen US military posture in the region.

2:07am: Hundreds in Argentina march for Israel

Hundreds of people took part in a march in support of Israel Monday in the capital of Argentina, which lost at least seven citizens in attacks by militant group Hamas that left hundreds dead.

The march took place at the corner of two streets in Buenos Aires respectively named State of Israel and State of Palestine.

“The only solution is to vacate the Gaza Strip, which originally belongs to the Jewish people,” Rafael Yablonosky, a 60-year-old doctor, told AFP at the march.

Argentina is home to Latin America’s largest Jewish community, with some 300,000 individuals in a population of about 45 million.

1:01am: In New York, pro-Palestinian demonstrators denounce Israeli government

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered Monday in the heart of Manhattan, denouncing the Israeli government and demanding that the United States stop supporting its ally in the Middle East, after Palestinian militants’ deadly weekend attack in Israel.

With signs reading “Israel go to hell!” and “NYC stands with Gaza,” people of all ages stood in front of the Israeli consulate general waving Palestinian flags.

Across the heavily policed street, a pro-Israel group stood behind security barriers hurling insults at the other gathering.

It was the second day in a row that the city had been the scene of tense counterprotests between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and others defending Israel.

12:35am: Palestinian President Abbas expected in Moscow, says Russian media

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to visit Moscow, Russian news media quoted the Palestinian envoy to Moscow as saying late on Monday.

“We are awaiting an official statement from the Kremlin, from the Russian side, about when the visit will take place,” Russia’s RBC news outlet said, citing Ambassador Abdel Hafiz Nofal as saying.

“An agreement has been reached that Mr Abbas will come here to Moscow.”

12:30am: Saudi prince says working to contain Israel-Gaza fighting

Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas he was working to prevent “an expansion” of conflict after the surprise Hamas attack on Israel, Saudi state media said early Tuesday.

The crown prince also told Abbas the Gulf kingdom continued “to stand by the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights to a decent life, achieve their hopes and aspirations, and achieve just and lasting peace”, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

12:18am: ‘No intention to put US boots on ground’ in Israel-Hamas conflict, says White House 

The United States has no plan to become militarily involved in the conflict between Israel and Hamas after the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attack, the White House said Monday.

“There’s no intention to put US boots on the ground,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, adding however that President Joe Biden “will always make sure that we are protecting and defending our national security interest”.

Kirby told reporters the White House expects additional security requests from Israel and will try to fulfil those needs as quickly as possible.

12:00am: Leaders of US, UK, Germany, Italy and France express support for Israel

The leaders of the US, Germany, Britain, France and Italy issued a joint statement on Monday condemning the attacks on Israel by Islamist militant group Hamas and expressed their “steadfast and united support” for Israel.

“Over the coming days, we will remain united and coordinated, together as allies, and as common friends of Israel, to ensure Israel is able to defend itself, and to ultimately set the conditions for a peaceful and integrated Middle East region,” said the statement by US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Read yesterday’s liveblog to see how the day’s events unfolded.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)