Israel-Hamas war LIVE: Blinken to head to Asia after wrapping Turkey visit

As the IDF continues to advance with its military operation in Gaza, spokesperson Col. Peter Lerner told CNN that the north and south of the strip have been cut off from one another. “The north and south (of Gaza) have been cut off from one another and are under IDF control,” Lt. Col. Peter Lerner told CNN on Monday. "This indeed means that we are pushing forward towards Gaza City, we have encircled Gaza City two days ago and we are moving forward," Lerner added. Describing Gaza City as “the fortress of Hamas’s terrorist activities,” he said the IDF is determined and wants to destroy the militant group.

After finishing his talks in Turkey, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is headed to Asia where the Gaza conflict will likely share top billing with other international crises at a series of events in Japan, South Korea and India, including Russia’s war on Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is wrapping up a grueling Middle East diplomatic tour in Turkey after only limited success in his efforts to forge a regional consensus on how to ease civilian suffering in Gaza as Israel intensifies its war against Hamas.

Blinken was meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday in Ankara after a weekend of travel that took him from Israel to Jordan, the West Bank, Cyprus and Iraq to build support for the Biden administration’s proposal for “humanitarian pauses” in Israel’s relentless military campaign in Gaza, the release of hostages held by Hamas and the prevention of an expansion of the conflict.

Arrived in Türkiye last night at a consequential time for stability and security in the region. Today, I will meet with government leaders as we seek to prevent the spread of the conflict in Gaza and find ways to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance. pic.twitter.com/VxgRE8nGL8

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 6, 2023

Dozens of protesters gathered in front of Turkey’s Foreign Ministry where the top Turkish and US diplomats were holding talks on Monday, accusing the United States of complicity in the deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

The protesters, members of an Islamist group, carried Turkish and Palestinian flags and held anti-US and Israel signs as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Earlier, police dispersed a group of students who marched toward the ministry chanting “Murderer Blinken, get out of Turkey!” It was the second day of protests denouncing Blinken’s visit to Turkey.

(AP Report) 

A barrage of rockets fired by Hamas has landed in Sderot area of South Israel. A loud band can be heard, according to correspondents of republic TV in the warzone. Rocket alerts was activated in Gaza border towns. Incoming rocket sirens are activated in the southern city of Sderot and two other communities near the Gaza Strip. Hamas also launched long-range rocket from Gaza Strip towards southernmost city of Eilat which was intercepted by the Arrow air defense system.  Air raid sirens went off as it was the second time in week that IDF intercepted a ballistic missile, a previous one launched from Yemen at Eilat.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi with troops inside Gaza Strip for the first time since beginning of ground operations. A video released by the IDF shows Halevi meeting with the commander of the 162nd Division, Brig. Gen. Itzik Cohen, and other officers.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Turkey as part of his Mideast tour, according to reports. Blinken's visit comes amid tensed and strained relations between Israel and Ankara as each recalled their ambassadors and Erdogan publicly 'severed' ties with Israel's Netanyahu over alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza by Israeli military. Blinken met with the Arab leaders in Jordan today. 

Israeli defense forces have accused the Hamas terrorists of opening fire on soldiers as they provided 3 hour highway clearance for the gazans to evacuate to the south.

"The Hamas terrorist organization exploited the humanitarian window that the IDF provided to residents of the Gaza Strip to move southwards," the IDF said in a statement. "The terrorists fired mortars and anti-tank missiles at IDF troops who arrived and operated to open the route."

While no fuel has been supplied into Gaza since the start of ground offensive by Israeli military, if allowed, it is expected to enter only south Gaza, Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues David Satterfield has said. The latter reportedly said that there is agreed mechanism in place.

“Fuel, which existed in depots accessible to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), that existed in Gaza prior to October 7, has been accessed by UNRWA for purposes of trucks, delivery of assistance that is from Rafah terminal to distribution points, for desalinization plant operation, and for delivery to hospitals in the South. That has been going on for pretty much the last week,” Satterfield was reported saying on Saturday. 

Hamas terrorists have been blocking foreign nationals from leaving the Gaza strip, and has been demanding that the ambulances must be allowed to reach rafah crossing into Egypt, a US official told American broadcaster CNN. 

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said in a post on X that he was “utterly shocked by reports of attacks on ambulances evacuating patients” in Gaza. Medical facilities, hospital staff, healthcare workers “must be protected,” said Tedros.

Context: Israeli forces struck the emergency entrance of Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, injuring 21 people, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said. A convoy of ambulances in Gaza killed 15 and injured more than 60 as Israeli forces struck it “by a missile."

Another ambulance of the Palestinian health ministry was “directly targeted." International Red Cross' PRCS noted that attack on abulances was “a grave violation of the Geneva conventions, a war crime”.

What Israel said? Israel’s military explained that it struck an ambulance as it was "being used by a Hamas terrorist cell in close proximity to their position in the battle zone”. “A number of Hamas terrorist operatives were killed in the strike,” Israeli military said. 

In a drastic measure, Turkey has recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv over "Israel’s rejection of calls for cease-fire, continued attacks against civilians" in Gaza, the state-run Turkish news agency Andalou Agency reported.

The move came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected any prospects of ceasefire in Gaza. Turkish President Erdogan also told the state press that he has "severed ties" with Netanyahu.

Israel has recalled its diplomats from Turkey due to "increasingly harsh statements" from the Turkish government, according to foreign minister Eli Cohen's post on X, formerly Twitter. 

Arab foreign ministers are calling for "an immediate ceasefire" in Gaza as US Secretary of State Blinken is meeting them in Jordanian capital of Amman.

The Arab ministers will "affirm the Arab position, which is calling for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip," the Jordanian ministry said in the statement.

"All the ways to end this dangerous deterioration that threatens the security of the entire region" will be discussed at the meeting, the ministry said.

Blinken has met with Jordan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ayman Safadi as he is ready to meet with the Arab partners. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said that he has "crossed out" Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu in the wake of IDF's ground incursion in Gaza strip against the Hamas, the terror group whom Erdogan appears to publicly support, labelling it as 'liberators' and not terrorists.

Erdogan said that he will bring Israel before the International Criminal Court for the war crimes and civilian casualties in the besieges strip, according to Turkish state media outlet Anadolu.

As he boarded the presidential plane aftr his return from Kazakhstan, Erdogan said Netanyhau, the Israeli Prime Minister was “no longer someone we can talk to."

"We have crossed him out," said Turkish President.

Turkey has emerged as one of the staunchest supporters of palestine, and has criticised Israel for offensive in the enclave, labelling the strikes as  "oppression, atrocity" and "massacre" in Gaza. At a pro Palestinian rally in Istanbul, Erdogan said that  Turkey will take "initiatives that would bring Israel’s human rights violations and war crimes to the International Criminal Court."

"Our relevant authorities, especially our Foreign Ministry, will carry out this work,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by Anadolu.

Turkish President is set to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who is on a diplomatic visit to the Middle East to push a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza which was backed by US President Joe Biden. 

“Maya! Maya! Water! Water!” is now the refrain from people on Gaza streets, the Gaza director for the UNRWA, the United Nation’s agency for Palestinian refugees said.

Thomas White said “having travelled the length and breadth of Gaza in the last few weeks, it is a scene of death and destruction.”

No place is safe now, he said, and people fear for their lives, their futures, and that they will not be able to feed their families.

UNRWA is supporting about 89 bakeries across Gaza aiming to get bread to 1.7 million people, White said in a video briefing to diplomats from the UN’s 193 member nations.

The average person in Gaza is living on two pieces of Arabic bread made from flour the UN had stockpiled in the territory, he said. 

During his UNRWA headquarters visit in Amman today, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed condolences for more than 70 UN staff who lost their lives in Gaza. "It's both a pleasure and important to be here at UNRWA, which is doing extraordinary work every single day as a lifeline to Palestinians in Gaza and at great, at great cost," Blinken told the UN staff.

He continued, "More than 70 members of UNRWA employees have lost their lives. Thousands are putting their lives on the line every single day, to show up at work to help people." Blinken showed solidarity with the staff of UN that lost their lives in the warzone.

UN has lost its highest number of workers in Israel Hamas conflict that anywhere in the world.

Hamas attempted to slip some of its wounded fighters onto a list of people approved to pass from Gaza into Egypt at the Rafah crossing, a senior Biden administration official said, contributing to a slowed effort this week to evacuate hundreds of foreign nationals and dozens of seriously injured Palestinians.

The official, who briefed reporters in Washington on Friday, spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.

Hamas agreed to allow foreign nationals out of Gaza if some wounded Palestinians also could cross to receive medical treatment in Egypt. But when Egyptian authorities vetted the list, they found several of the wounded Palestinians were suspected Hamas militants, the US official said.

(AP Report)

In a late night speech, ex President of US Barack Obama said that the world was now more "unstable and more dangerous” than it ever was due to the conflicts, including the Israel Hamas war. Obama said that it was difficult to be hopeful due to the mounting civilian casualties, and seeing the bodies pulled from the wrecks. Such devastation, said Obama, “forces a moral reckoning on all of us.” 

In an overnight raid, Israel arrested more than 50 people from the West Bank as it cracked down on the those with links to Hamas. According to Palestinian Commission for the Affairs of Prisoners and ex-Prisoners, some people were released later after interrogation.

The detainees were taken into custody from areas of Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. But the major arrests were madein Al Fawwar camp, Hebron. 
 

Israel has announced the three hour highway clearance for the Gaza civlians to evacuate the besieged strip. israel announced the safe passage via the Salah al-Din Road, Gaza's main highway, that spans from north to south, between 1 p.m. (7 a.m. ET) and 4 p.m. (11 a.m. ET) today for civilians to move to the south of the strip.

"For your safety, make use of the upcoming time to move to the south beyond Wadi Gaza," said Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson for the Arab media was reported saying.

Israel once again urged the civilians to move to the southern part of the strip as it conducts its fierce operation to the north. 

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, expressed his "deep concern" about the Lebanon-Israel border tension during his meeting with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Amman. Iran backed terror group Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers have been exchanging intense cross-fire along Lebanon's southern border with Israel since the latter launched a ground incursion against the Palestinian terror group Hamas.

During the meeting with Lebanon's Mikati, Blinken "thanked him for his leadership in preventing Lebanon from being pulled into a war that the Lebanese people do not want." Blinken also hailed Lebanon's efforts with regional partners "to pursue durable and sustainable peace in the region,” State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said in a statement.

“The Secretary discussed US efforts to secure humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza and noted that Lebanon needs to select a President to lead the country through both the regional and domestic crises," the latter added. 

As many as 39 French citizens have been killed by Hamas since the war erupted between Israel and Hamas, the French foreign ministry said. "France mourns the tragic deaths of further French nationals, bringing the total number of French victims of Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel to 39," the ministry said in a statement.

As many as 9 French nationals have still be missing, according to the French foreign ministry. "It has now been confirmed that some of them have been taken hostage by Hamas," the statement read. 

Honduras announced that it is recalling its ambassador to Israel, in an attempt to scale back diplomatic relations condemning Israel's actions in Gaza.

"Given the grave humanitarian situation that the civil population of the Gaza Strip are enduring, the government of President Xiomara Castro has decided to immediately call the ambassador of the Republic of Honduras in Israel, Roberto Martinez, to go to consultations to Tegucigalpa," the Honduran Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduardo Enrique Reina wrote on X. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Amman today. The meeting would take place during what is seen as Blinken's third trip to the Arab region since Israel launched ground offensive inside the besieged strip of Gaza. US has been pushing for a humanitarian pause to get more aid into Gaza and secure the release of the hostages.

Blinken's meeting with Arab partners in Amman comes after his Israel visit where he met with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Israel and the US appear to be taking divergent approaches to securing the release of the more than 200 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

A senior Biden administration official said Friday the US believes the fighting will need to take a “fairly significant pause” to allow for their release — modeled on a smaller-scale letup last month that allowed two American hostages to be freed.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under White House rules, said the release was a “testing pilot” for how a broader deal could be struck and that negotiations on a “larger package” of hostages are ongoing. The official emphasized it would require a significant halt in fighting to ensure their safety. 

Met with senior Israeli leadership today. Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism and ensure this never happens again. We discussed concrete steps that can and should be taken to protect civilians. pic.twitter.com/f3xTMbZIE9

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 3, 2023

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US calls for a humanitarian pause in the Israel-Hamas war, telling US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday “we are going full steam ahead,” unless the hostages held by Hamas are released.

Today, as many as 730 foreign nationals will exit the Gaza through the Rafah crossing.The breakdown of the foreigners who will be allowed to leave the Gaza Strip are as follows:

55 Egyptians

386 Americans

112 British

77 French

151 Germans

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the meeting with several Arab partners in Amman, will focus on ending the war and addressing “the humanitarian catastrophe it has caused.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to meet with several Arab partners in Amman. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said in a statement that Jordan would convene counterparts from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Qatar, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, all of whom are expected to meet with Blinken. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is holding a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Amman. Qatar has served as the key mediator in the Hamas Israel war and has helped in securing the release of at least four hostages since Israel launched a ground operation in Gaza to eliminate Hamas. 

Hamas rockets have landed in vicinity of the Republic TV crew reporting on ground in Israel as sirens resonated. A rocket landed just 100 metres from the site where Republic's war correspondents have been reporting. 

EXCLUSIVE REPORT FROM ISRAEL

Rocket launched by Hamas terrorists lands 100 metres close to Republic crew

Tune in to watch Arnab #LIVE - https://t.co/ktzTqxVkwF

#Hamas #Israel #IsraelHamasWar #Palestine #Gaza pic.twitter.com/sq3jo2JDm5

— Republic (@republic) November 3, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to President of UAE, Mohamed bin Zayed about the situation in West Asia.

"We share deep concerns at the terrorism, deteriorating security situation and loss of civilian lives. We agree on the need for early resolution of the security and humanitarian situation and that a durable regional peace, security and stability is in everyone’s interest," Prime Minister said

Had a good conversation with my brother HH @MohamedBinZayed, President of UAE, on the West Asia situation. We share deep concerns at the terrorism, deteriorating security situation and loss of civilian lives. We agree on the need for early resolution of the security and…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 3, 2023

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit Israel next week, and the discussions for the arrival are in advanced phase, Israel’s Channel 12 news reported.

More than two weeks ago, Israel snubbed Zelenskyy as he offered to make a visit to the Jewish state after the Oct. 7 terror attacks within the country.

“Such a visit would send an important message,” Israel's Education Minister Yoav Kisch was quoted as saying.

Zelenskyy's visit to Israel, his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and other Israeli leaders, "will send a message of the enlightened world under attack, standing against the less-enlightened world, attacking,” Channel 12 said.

“It would indicate something of a unified front of Israel, Ukraine, Europe and the US against the Russia-Iran axis." 
 

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a televised statement ahead of the start of Shabbat. Netanyahu briefed about the meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying that he outrightly rejects any temporary ceasefire in fight against Hamas unless the hostages were released.

No pause to the IDF's ground incursion will be considered until “the release of our hostages," Netanyahu asserted. Israel “will not enable the entry of fuel to Gaza," he furthermore clarified. 

Nasrallah says that the preemptive strike on  Hezbollah terror group will be “most foolish mistake.”

“I tell the Israelis, if you are considering carrying out a preemptive attack against Lebanon, it will be the most foolish mistake you make in your entire existence,” he warned in a provocative and hate-filled speech.

Hezbollah’s Nasrallah during his speech lauded the violence and skirmishes on Israel-Lebanon border. he said that this has distracted the IDF forces from Hamas. “This is not the end," he warned.

“Some would like Hezbollah to engage in an all-out war, but I can tell you: What is happening now along the Israeli-Lebanese border is significant, and it is not the end," he said.

“Our operations on the border have forced the IDF to divert forces, weapons and equipment from Gaza and the West Bank to the Lebanese front. One-third of the IDF is now amassed on our border,” he furthermore added. 

“Israel has revealed itself to be a weak state, as fragile as a spider web, and it needs American and Western support,” Hezbollah chief has claimed.

“Otherwise, why would the US navy send an aircraft carrier shortly after the October 7 attack? Why else would Biden visit Israel, alongside numerous American government secretaries, the military top brass and European leaders?” he added. 

US "must be held accountable and pay the price for the crimes perpetrated by Israel in Gaza," Hezbollah chief asserted in his first speech since Oct.7 terrorist attack on Israel.

"Resistance movements have attacked and will continue to attack American forces in Iraq and Syria,” the Iran backed leader of Lebanon based terror faction warned. 

Hezbollah chief has called Israel “as fragile as a spider web,” and justified strikes on the US troops in the region.

“Israel falsely claimed Hamas beheaded babies, but failed to produce any evidence” — despite providing gruesome visual evidence that they did — “whereas the whole world has seen images of Palestinian children bombed in Gaza,” he said. 
 

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has falsely claimed that Israeli civilians on October 7 were killed by Israeli forces. They were “acting insanely as they were caught by surprise and were ‘drunk,'” not by Hamas, said Nasrallah.

“Israel has never been able to bring back hostages without negotiations,” Nasrallah went on to boast. 
 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the press conference reiterated that “as long as the United States stands, Israel will not stand alone.”

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah during his speech said that Lebanese terror group "knew nothing about the [Oct 7] assault ahead of time." “The October 7 operation was planned in total secrecy, even other Palestinian factions were not privy to it, let alone resistance movements abroad,” Nasrallah told the gathering.

“The international community keeps bringing up Iran and its military plans, but the October 7 attack was a 100% Palestinian operation, planned and executed by Palestinians for the Palestinian cause, it has no relation at all to any international or regional issues.”
 

Calls to deter civilian violence "doesn’t just apply to the Gaza Strip but to the West Bank as well where extremist violence against Palestinians must be stopped," says Blinken. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that during the meetings today, Israeli officials assured him to condemn and control the settler violence in the West Bank. Israel has assured to take action and hold perpetrators accountable, said Blinken.

“We will be looking closely to ensure that our friends make good on that commitment,” Blinken said. 

US Secretary of State iterated that "legitimate questions were raised in his talks with Israeli officials" including the release of hostages, entry of more aid, how to deter Hamas from using the temporary cessation to regroup among many other aspects. 
 

US Secretary of State, Blinken stated that while he felt the pain watching carnage that impacted Israeli children, he was equally pained to see Palestinian girls and boys who were pulled from the rubble from IDF's bombing.

“When I see them, when I look into their eyes from the TV screens, I see my own children,” Blinken says. “How can I not?”

Blinken said that Hamas doesn’t care about Palestinians and uses them as human shields. 

“We need to be doing more to protect Palestinian civilians," said Blinken. He reiterated that Israel has the right to defend itself, but “how it does so matters.” Blinken said that protecting the Palestinians is “right thing to do," addign that not doing so plays “into the hands of Hamas.”

Blinken says that he discussed with the Israeli side about the humanitarian pauses in the Gaza strip. He also stressed that he pushed for more aid into the battered  strip as IDF conducts its ground offensive. He discussed with Israel steps to take to fight under these conditions — “advice only best of friends can offer.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he and his Israeli counterparts discussed the events of Oct. 7 and pledged that such incidences must never repeat. In today’s meetings with Israeli officials, Blinken discussed coordinating efforts to deter October 7 onslaught and  build a “different future” and create the strategy for a “better tomorrow for both peoples and the region.”

As he condemned Hamas, Blinken noted that 33 Americans were killed in brutal onslaught of Hamas on October 7 and 220 foreign nationals were affected. 
 

Blinken is now speaking at a press conference. He says that the ‘shocking' brutality of Hamas massacres has receded in memories of many but not US and Israel. He recalled the footage of a father grabbing his two sons before Hamas terrorists killed him. “Where’s daddy,” he quoted one of the boys. “They killed daddy,” his brother responds. “Where’s mommy?”

Blinken denounced the brutality of the Hamas, saying that the terrorists were responsible for killing the boys’ parents. He continued that the  “shocking” brutality of the slaughter has “receded” in the memory of so many — but not in Israel, and US. 

As Hezbollah and Israel continue to exchange fire at the border opening the second front to the war, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Iran-backed terror group has started speaking for the first time since Oct.7.

The video shows the Hezbollah songs and its soldiers chanting slogans and marching. There are images of dead terrorists that are shown as the martyrs that the group says died fightin in war with Israel. Hezbollah chief's speech is being closely followed in israel and US.