New Delhi: Thousands of Palestinians fled to southern Gaza to seek refuge after Israel warned them to evacuate in light of a planned ground offensive against Hamas.
Localised raids in Gaza
The Israeli army said that ground forces made “localised” raids into Gaza in the last 24 hours. “Over the past 24 hours, IDF (Israeli military) forces carried out localised raids inside the territory of the Gaza Strip to complete the effort to cleanse the area of terrorists and weaponry,” an Israeli army statement said.
Middle East tense
Tension has spilled over to other nations in the Middle East and beyond amid escalation in violence. Protests erupted in major cities in support of Palestinians and condemnation of Israeli airstrikes. Thousands protested in Beirut, Iraq, Iran, Jordan and Bahrain in support of the Palestinians.
Reuters journalist killed
A Reuters video journalist was killed in south Lebanon in an Israeli strike, while two other Reuters reporters, two from AFP, and two from Al Jazeera were injured.
Arab states say Palestinians must stay on their land
Egypt shares a border with Gaza and Jordan, which is next to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Both have warned against Palestinians being forced off their land.
Iran-Backed Hezbollah Ready To Support Hamas
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement said Friday it would be “fully prepared” to join its Palestinian ally Hamas in the war against Israel when the time is right.
India’s Second Statement
India said it had “always advocated… direct negotiations towards establishing… a sovereign, independent, and viable state of Palestine”. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also said India is aware of a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law.
Putin Says Israel Has “Right To Defend Itself”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the negotiations’ goal should be the implementation of the United Nations’ two-state formula.
