Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday that Israel's fierce offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip has "only started."
Netanyahu delivered the pronouncement in a nationally televised address as Israel pressed ahead with a third day of heavy airstrikes in Gaza following Hamas' unprecedented and deadly incursion into Israel.
"We have only started striking Hamas," he said. "What we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations."
Israel formally declared war on Sunday. The hostilities so far have killed around 900 people in Israel and more than 680 people in Gaza, according to authorities on each side.
AIRSTRIKE IN GAZA CITY KILLS TWO PALESTINIAN JOURNALISTS
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City killed two Palestinian journalists early Tuesday, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Wafa identified the journalists as editor Saeed Al-Taweel and photographer Mohammed Sobih. The airstrike occurred close to an area housing several media offices.
Three Palestinian journalists reportedly were shot and killed while reporting in Gaza on Saturday. The Committee to Protect Journalists, citing Palestinian press freedom groups, identified two of them as photographer Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi and reporter Mohammad Jarghoun. CPJ said it confirmed that freelance reporter Mohammad El-Salhi also was killed.
Lafi worked for Ain Media, and Jarghoun reported for Smart Media, CPJ said.
ISRAEL SAYS DEPUTY COMMANDER KILLED IN CLASHES ON BORDER WITH LEBANON
Israel's military said early Tuesday that a deputy Israeli commander was killed in clashes on the northern border with Lebanon.
The military identified the deputy commander as Alim Abdallah, but did not specify the exact circumstances of his death.
Palestinian militants from the Islamic Jihad group slipped from Lebanon into Israel, sparking Israeli shelling into southern Lebanon. Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group said five of its members were killed, and it retaliated with a volley of rockets and mortars at two Israeli army bases across the border.
NUMBER OF THOSE DISPLACED IN GAZA SURPASSES 187,000, UN OFFICE SAYS
As retaliatory Israeli airstrikes continue, more than 187,500 people have been displaced in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict, according to a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, is hosting more than 137,000 people in schools across the territory. The report says airstrikes have razed 790 housing units and severely damaged 5,330 in the territory of 2.3 million people.
OCHA said damage to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in Gaza has disrupted service for more than 400,000 people.
ISRAEL STRIKES TWO TUNNELS USED BY HAMAS MILITANTS, MILITARY SAYS
The Israeli military said early Tuesday that it struck two tunnels used by Hamas militants to enter Israeli territory.
The news came a day after 70 militants infiltrated the Be'eri kibbutz Monday night. The small farming community has been a flashpoint of the conflict -- the scene of a hostage standoff during the attack.
Authorities did not immediately provide more information on the location of the tunnels.
The militant group has used tunnels in the past. It has an established a network running from Gaza to Egypt to smuggle in weapons, as well as attack tunnels burrowing into Israel.
AT LEAST 11 U.S. CITIZENS HAVE BEEN KILLED, BIDEN SAYS
At least 11 U.S. citizens have been confirmed dead in the surprise Hamas attacks, U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday.
Biden also said the U.S. government believes it is "likely" that Americans are among those currently being held hostage by Hamas militants, while other U.S. citizens are still unaccounted for after the deadly assault.
"My heart goes out to every family impacted by the horrible events of the past few days," Biden said in a statement. "The pain these families have endured, the enormity of their loss, and the agony of those still awaiting information is unfathomable."
He stressed that the State Department is offering assistance for U.S. citizens who are currently in Israel, and air and ground options to leave the country are still available for those who choose to do so. He also said federal law enforcement officials are "closely monitoring" potential domestic threats stemming from the weekend attacks.
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER AT SYNAGOGUE TO SUPPORT ISRAEL
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joined a large crowd gathered for prayer at a London synagogue on Monday to underline his solidarity with Israel.
Addressing the congregation at Finchley United Synagogue in north London, Sunak condemned Hamas' bloody incursion into Israel on Saturday as "evil."
"There are not two sides to these events. There is no question of balance. I stand with Israel," he said. "The United Kingdom stands with Israel against this terrorism today, tomorrow and always."
He also sought to assure Britain's Jewish community that he will do everything to protect them amid concerns about the rise of antisemitism.
HUNDREDS OF RIVAL PROTESTERS HOLD RALLIES IN U.S., EUROPE
Thousands of pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters held vocal but peaceful gatherings Monday, at a historic French plaza and outside Israeli embassies in London and Athens, Greece.
Several thousand people rallied in Paris in support of Israel, marching to the Trocadero Plaza overlooking the Eiffel Tower. The monument was lit up in the colours of the Israeli flag, with a white Star of David in the middle, in a gesture of solidarity announced by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
In Athens, an estimated 250 people, mostly Palestinian expatriates and members of Greek left-wing groups, held a peaceful protest outside the Israeli embassy to show solidarity with Palestinians. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans, while a strong police contingent blocked off access to the embassy building.
In London, hundreds chanted "Israel is a terrorist state" and "Free Palestine" and some waved signs calling for Israel to "end the occupation."
Meanwhile, in the U.S., supporters of Israel and of the Palestinians held competing rallies in several cities, including in New York, where rival protesters shouted at each other near UN headquarters amid a massive police presence.
EUROPEAN UNION REVERSES SUSPENSION OF AID TO PALESTINIAN AUTHORITIES
The European Union late Monday reversed an earlier announcement by an EU commissioner that the bloc was immediately suspending aid for Palestinian authorities and instead said it would urgently review such assistance in the wake of the attacks on Israel by Hamas.
"There will be no suspension of payments" at the moment, a terse European Commission statement said late Monday, five hours after EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi had said that all payments from the development program for Palestinians would be immediately suspended.
MORE THAN 680 PEOPLE KILLED IN GAZA, HEALTH MINISTRY SAYS
The Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip said Monday that more than 680 people have been killed in Israel's retaliatory strikes following an unprecedented Hamas attack.
The ministry said more than 3,700 people have been wounded.
Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since the Saturday attack, striking hundreds of targets and leaving vast destruction.
UN SAYS EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO PREVENT CONFLICT FROM SPREADING
The United Nations says intense diplomatic activity is taking place aimed at ensuring that regional and international leaders are on the same page in trying to prevent the conflict between Israel and Hamas from spreading.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters Monday that he and UN Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland are engaging with key parties in the region.
Guterres has spoken to Israel's president and Jordan's king and expects to talk to the Palestinian president, Israel's prime minister, Egypt's president and Lebanon's prime minister, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Wennesland has been in touch with his counterparts from the United States, European Union, Qatar, Lebanon and others.
The UN is extremely concerned at the level of tension and violence and the risk of spillover "that we have not seen before," Dujarric said. "We need to see the international community and those in the region. All speak with one voice."
MORE THAN 100 BODIES FOUND IN FARMING COMMUNITY, ISRAEL SAYS
Israeli rescue service Zaka says more than 100 bodies have been recovered from a small farming community that was the scene of a hostage standoff during Hamas' attack against Israel.
The figure is part of the total 900 reportedly killed in Hamas' multi-pronged attack. Beeri, a kibbutz, had a population of about 1,000 people before the attack.
BIDEN TO SPEAK WITH ALLIES ON ISRAEL SITUATION, WHITE HOUSE SAYS
U.S. President Joe Biden plans to speak with several allies Monday regarding the situation in Israel, according to the White House.
Earlier Monday, Biden convened a meeting with top national security aides, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer, Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall and White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients.
During that meeting, Biden urged continued coordination with Israel and other regional partners, the White House said.
The White House has called a "lid" for the day, meaning the public won't lay eyes on the U.S. president until Tuesday.
Biden has spoken at least twice with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the White House says his top national security aides have been in regular contact with their counterparts in the region since the surprise Hamas attack on Saturday.
CHEVRON TO STOP PRODUCTION IN MEDITERRANEN OFF ISRAEL COAST
American oil giant Chevron Corp. said Monday that at Israel's instruction it had stopped production at its offshore Tamar natural gas rig in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel.
In a statement announcing the action, the company declined to discuss any security issues and didn't say why Israel ordered it.
"Chevron is focused on the safe and reliable supply of natural gas for the benefit of the Israeli domestic market and our regional customers," Chevron said. "Our top priority is the safety of our personnel, the communities in which we operate, the environment and our facilities."
The Tamar field, which went online in 2013, is believed to hold more than 300 billion cubic meters of gas. Chevron and the Israeli-American company Isramco each own around a third of Tamar, with the remainder held by smaller firms.
There have been threats previously against Israel's offshore oil rigs by militant groups in the region and Lebanon has disputed Israel's maritime boundaries.
The ongoing fighting in Israel and the Gaza Strip has sparked a jump in crude oil prices, in part over a fear of a wider regional conflict breaking out. Israel and the Palestinian territories don't produce oil. Benchmark Brent crude traded up Monday to over $87 a barrel.
HEZBOLLAH SAYS 4 MEMBERS KILLED IN ISRAELI SHELLING IN LEBANON
Four members of Hezbollah were killed during Israeli shelling in southern Lebanon, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group announced Monday. The group identified them as Hussam Mohammad Ibrahim, Ali Raef Ftouni, Ali Hudruj and Bilal Madi.
The first of three statements announcing the deaths shared photos of Ibrahim in military garb posing with an AK-47 assault rifle.
Earlier Monday, the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad said in a statement that it sent four gunmen across Lebanon's border into Israel as part of the Hamas-led attack that started over the weekend. Israeli Defence Forces reported that its troops shot and killed several gunmen who crossed into the country from Lebanon.
The Lebanese military called on residents of border towns to "take the utmost precautions." Families in several towns in southern Lebanon started fleeing north as the Israeli shelling continued.
PALESTINIAN DIPLOMAT IN U.K. SAYS ISRAEL COMMITTING WAR CRIME
The top Palestinian diplomat in the U.K. says Israel is committing a war crime by cutting off water and electricity supplies to Gaza.
Husam Zomlot told a gathering of Palestinian supporters at the Labour Party's annual conference that Israel was acting out of "sheer vengeance" in response to weekend attacks by Hamas.
Zomlot told the meeting he had just learned that six members of his own family, including a cousin and her children, had been killed in Israel's bombardment of Gaza.
A member of Fatah, Zomlot said his party rejects the targeting of civilians. He added that Palestinians "need justice, not revenge."
"And what Israel is doing now is revenge, sheer vengeance."
He received a standing ovation from dozens of Labour members attending a meeting organized by the group Labour and Palestine.
The left-of-center Labour Party has been riven in recent years by allegations that antisemitism was allowed to spread under previous leader Jeremy Corbyn, a strong advocate of the Palestinian cause.
Labour's leadership has strongly condemned Hamas' weekend attacks, and conference delegates held a minute's silence for the victims at the conference on Monday.
HAMAS WING WARNS THAT ISRAELI STRIKES WILL BRING HOSTAGE DEATHS
The armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas has warned that it will kill an Israeli hostage every time Israel's military bombs civilian targets in the Gaza Strip without warning.
Abu Obeida, the spokesman of the Qassam Brigades, said in an audio released Monday night that the threat was a response to intense air strikes by Israel on civilian areas.
"We have decided to put an end to this and as of now, we declare that any targeting of our people in their homes without prior warning will be regrettably faced with the execution of one the hostages of civilians we are holding," he said.
In a video statement Monday, Israel's foreign minister warned Hamas against harming any of the hostages who were taken from Israel and being held in Gaza. Eli Cohen said Israel was committed to bringing the hostages home "in the spirit of mutual responsibility."
"We demand Hamas not to harm any of the hostages, Cohen said. "This war crime will not be forgiven," he added.
UN LEADER 'DISTRESSED' BY ISRAEL'S PLANS FOR A GAZA SIEGE
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he's "deeply distressed" by Israel's announcement of a complete siege on the Gaza Strip.
"The humanitarian situation in Gaza was extremely dire before these hostilities. Now, it will only deteriorate exponentially," Guterres said at a news conference Monday.
He spoke after the Israeli defence minister said he had ordered a cutoff of electricity and deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to the territory.
Guterres called for UN access to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza's 2.3 million residents. He pressed the international community to provide immediate support for the humanitarian effort.
TURKIYE'S LEADER HOLDS CALLS WITH PALESTINIAN, ISRAELI PRESIDENTS
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held back-to-back telephone calls with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, according to Erdogan's press office.
Erdogan and Abbas discussed the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. "President Erdogan stated that Turkiye is making every effort to end the conflicts in the region and ensure calm as soon as possible," a statement from his press office said.
In his call with Herzog, "President Erdogan emphasized that any step that could harm the people of Gaza collectively and indiscriminately will further increase the suffering and spiral of violence in the region." the presidential office statement said.
Erdogan also told his Israeli counterpart that it's "necessary to act with common sense and that establishing tranquillity in the region as soon as possible is of great importance for the well-being of the entire region."
EUROPEAN LEADERS AND U.S. PRESIDENT PLAN TO DISCUSS ISRAEL
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he and French President Emmanuel Macron will discuss the situation in Israel with U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak late Monday.
Scholz, who was hosting Macron at a joint German-French Cabinet retreat in Hamburg, called Hamas' attack on Israel "barbaric." But he added that Germany, France, the U.S. and the U.K. agree that there must not be a "conflagration" in the region, and "no one should further fuel terror in this situation."
Macron pledged his "full support and solidarity for Israel." He spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second time in three days and spoke over the weekend with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the leaders of Lebanon, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
INTERNATIONAL AID GROUP WARNS OF 'UTTER DISASTER' IN GAZA
The secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, an international aid organization, warns that the Israeli government's vow to besiege and blockade the Gaza Strip would spell "utter disaster" for the more than 2 million Palestinians living in the small territory.
Jan Egeland's comments came after Israel's defence minister ordered a "complete siege" on Gaza after an unprecedented incursion by Hamas fighters into Israel early Saturday. Israel formally declared war on Sunday and has since retaliated against Hamas for the attack.
"There is no doubt that collective punishment is in violation of international law. It's clear as that." Egeland told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "If and when it would lead to wounded children dying in hospitals because of a lack of energy, electricity, and supplies, it could amount to war crimes."
Egeland also slammed donor countries for halting humanitarian assistance to Gaza after the unprecedented attack by Hamas militants on Saturday.
FRANCE REPORTS UPTICK IN ANTISEMITIC ACTS
French police have arrested 10 people in connection with antisemitic acts that were reported since the latest fighting between Israel and Hamas militants began.
The 20 reported incidents included threats to synagogues or people frequenting Jewish stores, the interior minister said Monday.
Prosecutors have also opened 44 investigations into antisemitic hate speech online or posts glorifying terrorism in connection with the violence, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin's office.
While France's sees sporadic acts targeting Jews or Muslims, Darmanin said the number of antisemitic incidents since Saturday was "dramatic."
France has the world's largest Jewish population after Israel and the U.S.
Two French citizens are confirmed dead in Israel following the outbreak of violence. At least eight others are missing or believed held hostage, according to a lawmaker who represents French people abroad.
MILITANT GROUP SAYS IT SENT GUNMEN INTO ISRAEL FROM LEBANON
A Palestinian militant group claims it sent four gunmen across Lebanon's border into Israel as part of the Hamas-led attack that started over the weekend.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad said in a statement that seven Israeli soldiers were wounded in Monday's cross-border operation.
The Israeli Defence Forces reported earlier that its troops shot and killed several gunmen who crossed into the country from Lebanon. Israel also intensified shelling of southern Lebanon in response to the incident.
The Lebanese military called on residents of border towns to "take the utmost precautions." Families in several towns in southern Lebanon started fleeing north as the Israeli shelling continued.
EGYPTIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIANS
Dozens of students held a rally in support of the Palestinian people Monday at the prestigious American University in Egypt's capital.
The students rallied across the university campus in Cairo's upscale 5th Settlement neighbourhood.
Students were seen waving Palestinian flags and holding banners with slogans such as "Free Palestine."
The rally came as fighting raged for a third day between Israel and Palestinian militant groups following Hamas' unprecedented Saturday attack on southern Israel.
UN AGENCY NEAR CAPACITY FOR DISPLACED PALESTINIANS IN GAZA
The UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, says it is near maximum capacity in accommodating internally displaced people in Gaza.
The agency's director of external communications, Tamara Alrifai, said Monday that nearly 137,000 people have sheltered so far in over 70 UN schools around Gaza. Alrifai said the agency can host up to 150,000 people at up to 79 schools around the territory.
She added there is fuel in Gaza that could last for up to 10 days.
FAMILIES NEAR LEBANON-ISRAEL BORDER FLEE UNDER SHELLING
Families in several border towns in southern Lebanon have started fleeing north as Israeli shelling continues in the area.
An Associated Press team saw several cars packed with people and belongings departing Monday. "We tried to flee Ait el-Shaab to Rmeish, but they told us everyone has to stay in their area," a man said as he and his family tried to flee.
Israeli shelling intensified after four militants crossed over the border and clashed with Israeli Defence Forces troops on Monday. Several rockets were fired from near the Lebanese border earlier. A Hezbollah spokesperson denied the militant group's involvement in the operation.
VICTIMS OF HAMAS INCURSION REMEMBERED AT VATICAN
The Vatican secretary of state and Rome's chief rabbi have presided over a moment of silence in honour of the victims of the Hamas incursion in Israel.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin launched a historic conference on the recently-opened archives of the World War II-era Pope Pius XII by expressing solidarity with the Israeli victims and "to those who are missing and kidnapped and now in grave danger."
He said the Vatican was following the fighting with grave concern and noted that many Palestinians in Gaza were also losing their lives.
Parolin and Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni then led the conference at the Pontifical Gregorian University in a minute of silence in honour of the victims.
ARAB LEAGUE SCHEDULES MEETING AT REQUEST OF PALESTINIANS
Arab foreign ministers plan to convene Wednesday in Cairo for a meeting on the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant groups in Gaza.
Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki said the ministers would discuss Arab efforts to "stop the Israeli aggression" on Gaza.
The meeting was called by the Palestinians.
SCOTLAND'S LEADER WORRIES FOR IN-LAWS 'TRAPPED' IN GAZA
Scotland's leader says his Palestinian in-laws are among the civilians caught up in the fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf told reporters Monday that the parents of his wife, Nadia El-Nakla, recently travelled from Scotland to Gaza to visit relatives and were there when Hamas launched its attack on Israel and Israel retaliated.
He said his mother-in-law and father-in-law were told by Israeli authorities to leave because "Gaza will effectively be obliterated" -- but that they are unable to do so and are effectively trapped.
"Despite the best efforts of the British Foreign Office, nobody, nobody can guarantee them safe passage anywhere," Yousaf said.
FRENCH CITIZENS CONFIRMED DEAD IN ISRAEL-GAZA FIGHTING
Two French citizens have been confirmed dead in the fighting, the French Foreign Ministry said Monday, without elaborating. Several others (or dual citizens) are unaccounted for believed missing or held hostage.
EUROPEAN UNION SUSPENDS PAYMENTS TO PALESTINIANS
European Union Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said Monday that the bloc is suspending "all payments immediately" to the Palestinians because of what he called he called the "scale of terror and brutality" during the attacks of Hamas against Israel.
The surprise announcement by Varhelyi came just hours after EU officials stressed that no EU money had been going to Hamas and that contacts had been frozen for 16 years. The EU considers Hamas a terror group.
U.S. SENATOR WELCOMES CHINA'S NEW STATEMENT ON HAMAS ATTACK
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Schumer says he is grateful for a strengthened statement from China condemning the killing and kidnapping of Israeli and foreign civilians by Hamas.
During a bipartisan congressional visit to Beijing, Schumer had said earlier Monday that he was very disappointed by China's failure to strongly condemn the militant group's attack on Israel or to express sympathy for the country and its people.
Schumer led a delegation of six senators to China for talks aimed at stabilizing ties following a sharp deterioration in recent years over trade, U.S. support for self-governing Taiwan, human rights and other issues.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday that China is "deeply saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict between Palestine and Israel."
STATE DEPARTMENT: 9 AMERICANS ARE AMONG THE DEAD IN ISRAEL
The U.S. State Department said Monday that at least nine American citizens have been killed in the weekend Hamas attacks on Israel, raising the toll from four.
The State Department says an undetermined number of American citizens remain missing and unaccounted for. It is not clear whether the missing had been taken hostage, were killed or are in hiding.
The State Department is in touch with families "and providing all appropriate consular assistance," spokesman Matthew Miller said.
RUSSIAN MINISTER AND ARAB LEAGUE CHIEF MEET IN MOSCOW
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit met Monday in Moscow but did not announce any immediate steps in response to the violence in Israel and Gaza.
"As for mediation efforts, first of all the parties themselves must stop hostilities. Everything else can be decided later in a normal, non-military situation," Lavrov said following the meeting.
Before speaking with Russia's top diplomat, Aboul Gheit said: "We completely reject violence from both sides. ... We demand the creation of political perspectives and fair solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
U.S. AIRLINES SUSPEND FLIGHTS TO ISRAEL
Major U.S. airlines have suspended flights to Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas.
American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines suspended service as the U.S. State Department issued travel advisories for the region, citing potential for terrorism and civil unrest.
American suspended service to Tel Aviv through Friday. United said it allowed two scheduled flights out of Tel Aviv late Saturday and early Sunday and accommodated its customers, crews and employee travellers who were at the airport.
Delta said its Tel Aviv flights have been cancelled into this week.
SURVIVORS RECOUNT HORROR OF ATTACK AT ISRAELI MUSIC FESTIVAL
An open-air electronic music festival will go down in Israeli history as the site of the country's worst civilian massacre after paramedics recovered at least 260 bodies from a field near the border with Gaza.
The Tribe of Nova festival brought together thousands of young people to dance and revel in the swirl of bass-heavy beats. Dozens of Hamas militants who had blown through Israel's heavily fortified separation fence and crossed into the country from Gaza opened fire on the Israelis.
"We were hiding and running, hiding and running, in an open field, the worst place you could possibly be in that situation," said Arik Nani from Tel Aviv, who had gone to the party to celebrate his 26th birthday. "For a country where everyone in these circles knows everyone, this is a trauma like I could never imagine."
REPORT: EGYPT SEEKS ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PRISONER TRADE
Egypt has engaged in negotiations with Israel and Palestinian militant groups to release Palestinian women in Israel's prisons in exchange for Israeli women captured by Hamas militants, the state-owned Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported Monday.
The daily paper quoted an unnamed source as saying that the negotiations were aimed at finalizing an agreement on the trade.
"The Egyptian government is presently awaiting responses from both parties regarding the proposed prisoners exchange and a temporary cease-fire," Al-Ahram said.
Palestinian militant groups have claimed to be holding over 130 people who were captured in Israel in the past two days. Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua told The Associated Press by phone that the group's fighters had captured more Israelis as recently as Monday morning.
He said the group aims to free all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, which in the past has agreed to lopsided exchanges.
LEBANON URGES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO PRESSURE ISRAEL
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Monday that the tiny country's priority is to maintain stability along its southern border with Israel following an exchange of attacks between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants over the weekend.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing rockets at three Israeli positions in disputed territory along the border of the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, before Israel returned fire.
Mikati called on the international community to "take responsibility" in pressuring Israel to return to peace talks under the Arab Peace Initiative. "Anything other than that is a further spiralling of violence that will not benefit anyone," he said.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has praised key ally Hamas for its unprecedented incursion into Israel but has not said if it would attempt to join forces.
Israel has estimated that Hezbollah has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at the country.
EUROPEAN NATIONS REPATRIATE CITIZENS WITH FLIGHTS FROM ISRAEL
Governments and airlines in Europe are conducting emergency and regular flights from Israel to bring back European citizens who were in the country when Hamas fighters attacked.
Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says nearly 600 Romanian citizens, including two groups of pilgrims, were repatriated from Israel on commercial flights over the weekend.
A Bulgarian government aircraft has been sent to Tel Aviv to evacuate Bulgarian citizens stranded in Israel. National carrier Bulgaria Air cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv. cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv.
Bulgarian media say a total of 179 Bulgarians and one Croatian citizen were evacuated on the government-organized flights between Sunday night and early Monday.
Two Hungarian air force planes carrying 215 people from Israel arrived in Budapest early Monday, according to posts by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Facebook.
Slovakia's government plans to send a government plane to Tel Aviv on Wednesday to pick up Slovak nationals.
A spokesman for Greece's government, Pavlos Marinakis, says 81 of the 149 Greeks registered as having been in Israel over the weekend returned to Athens on Sunday night.
Spain's Foreign Ministry has urged people not to travel to Israel. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said he expected all Spaniards wishing to leave Israel will have been brought back by later Monday.
RUSSIA EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER 'SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE' IN ISRAEL
The Kremlin is "extremely concerned" by the "spiral of violence" in Israel, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.
"We believe that this situation needs to be put onto a peaceful track as soon as possible. And the continuation of such a spiral of violence, of course, is fraught with further escalation and expansion of this conflict. This is a great danger for the region, so we are extremely concerned," Peskov said.
The Kremlin spokesman added that Russian authorities were not aware of any Russian nationals injured in the conflict.
EUROPEAN UNION CONVENES EMERGENCY MEETING
The European Union is convening an emergency meeting of its foreign ministers to assess the developing violence in Israel, while stressing that the nation had every right to defend itself against the unprecedented incursion by Hamas fighters.
The ministers will organize the Tuesday meeting in Oman, where EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and some EU delegations are attending an EU-Gulf Cooperation Council joint meeting. Others will join by video conference.
"The priority right now is for the aggression by Hamas to stop. The hostages need to be released and we need to see the overall de-escalation of the situation," EU spokesman Peter Stano said.
ZELENSKYY COMPARES HAMAS TO RUSSIA
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has drawn a parallel between Russia's invasion of his country and the Hamas militant group's incursion into Israel, saying only "rules (and) international law" can ensure peace around the world.
"The same evil, and the only difference is that there is a terrorist organization that attacked Israel, and here is a terrorist state that attacked Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in a video address Monday to a NATO parliamentary assembly in Copenhagen.
"Our unity must and can stop the evil," Zelenskyy said. "Let everyone who sponsors terror feel the power of our wrath. And let everyone who needs help defending themselves against terror feel the power of our solidarity."
U.S. ENVOY LEADS MOMENT OF SILENCE AT HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
The top U.S. envoy to the Human Rights Council has led a moment of silence to honour the victims of Hamas' attacks against Israeli civilians and the people killed in an earthquake in Afghanistan over the weekend.
Ambassador Michele Taylor spoke Monday with a "heavy heart," she said, following the "horrific attacks carried out by Hamas terrorists on Israeli civilians" starting on Saturday.
"The United States unequivocally condemns these heinous acts of terrorism. We extend our deepest condolences to the families affected and express our solidarity with the people and government of Israel in these trying times," she told the council, the UN's top human rights body.
PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS GATHER IN SYDNEY
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters have gathered at the Sydney Opera House and police are advising the Jewish community to stay away.
Around 1,000 protesters on Monday marched 3 kilometres (2 miles) from Sydney Town Hall to the harbourside landmark chanting: "Free, free Palestine!" They were surrounded by a heavy police presence. One protester at the town hall rally briefly waved an Israeli flag before fleeing.
The opera house is among several public buildings in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra that were to be illuminated in blue and white -- the colours of Israel's flag -- on Monday night in solidarity with the Israelis.
ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER ORDERS 'COMPLETE SIEGE' ON GAZA STRIP
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said authorities would cut electricity to Gaza and block the entry of food and fuel there as part of a "complete siege" he ordered.
The announcement on Monday came as Israel's military scoured the country's south for Hamas fighters and guarded breaches in its border fence with tanks, while it pounded the Gaza Strip from the air.
Israel and Egypt have imposed various levels of blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.
2 SRI LANKAN CAREGIVERS MISSING
Two Sri Lankans have gone missing while another has been wounded in the violence in the Gaza Strip, the island nation's Foreign Ministry said on Monday. The two missing persons were identified as caregivers. About 8,000 Sri Lankans are employed in Israel and the majority of them work as caregivers.
22 FILIPINOS RESCUED IN ISRAEL; 6 STILL MISSING
Twenty-two Filipinos have been rescued in Israel and seven others are still missing following the Hamas militant group's attack, the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv said Monday. Two of the rescued Filipinos were treated in hospitals for injuries.
The embassy said it is working "non-stop" with Israeli authorities and community contacts to get more details on the missing citizens.
AUSTRIA TO FREEZE DEVELOPMENT AID FOR PALESTINIAN AREAS
Austria's foreign minister says his country will freeze development aid for the Palestinian areas following the attack by Hamas on Israel. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told Oe1 radio on Monday that all development aid payments will be "put on ice for now" and that the affected funds are worth around 19 million euros (US$20 million).
Schallenberg also said he will summon Iran's ambassador to the Austrian Foreign Ministry on Monday to complain about the country's "abhorrent reactions" to the Hamas attack.
On Sunday, Germany's development minister said her country would review its financial aid for the Palestinian areas. Her ministry put the amount currently pledged at 250 million euros (US$265 million) and said no payments are currently being made.
EGYPT AND UAE LEADERS DISCUSS NEED FOR 'JUST AND PERMANENT PEACE'
The leaders of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates on Monday discussed the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants.
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed on "the importance of advancing diplomatic efforts that aim to de-escalate violence, protect civilians, spare blood," a statement from the Egyptian president's office said. Such efforts should include establishing "a comprehensive, just and permanent peace," it added.
Egypt was the first Arab country to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in the 1970s, and shares borders with both Gaza and Israel. The UAE normalized ties with Tel Aviv as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. The Arab Gulf nation has frayed ties with Hamas.
HAMAS WANTS TO 'LIBERATE ALL PALESTINIAN PRISONERS,' IT SAYS
Hamas wants to "liberate all Palestinian prisoners" from Israel and end Israeli provocations in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, particularly at Al-Aqsa Mosque, a spokesman for the militant group said Monday.
Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua told The Associated Press over the phone that Hamas militants were still fighting Israeli forces and had captured more Israelis on Monday morning.
"We are in an open battle to defend our people and the Al-Aqsa Mosque," he said. "This battle is linked to the liberation of all Palestinian prisoners and the cessation of this fascist government's activities in Jerusalem."
EGYPTAIR SUSPENDS FLIGHTS TO ISRAEL
EgyptAir, Egypt's national carrier, suspended its flights to Israel on Monday amid fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, Cairo airport officials said.
The flights between Cairo and Tel Aviv are suspended until further notice, said two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. EgyptAir normally operates a daily flight between Cairo International Airport and Ben Gurion International Airport, just outside Tel Aviv.
Many carriers suspended flights to and from Israel following the unprecedented attack by the Hamas militant group, which rules Gaza, Israeli media reported.
12 THAI NATIONALS KILLED IN ISRAEL FOLLOWING HAMAS ATTACK
Twelve Thai nationals have died in Israel following Hamas' attack, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kanchana Patarachoke said Monday. Eleven others were taken hostage and eight were injured. The numbers, based on reports from workers and employers in the area, were still awaiting confirmation from Israeli authorities, Kanchana said.
Around 5,000 Thai workers are in the areas around the Gaza Strip, and some have been evacuated to safer areas, the spokesperson said, adding that Thailand's air force is preparing planes for an evacuation whenever the situation allows. Many Thais work on farms in Israel.
ISRAEL MOVES TO PROP UP ITS CURRENCY AMID MARKET UNCERTAINTY
Israel's central bank says it will sell up to US$30 billion in foreign exchange to prop up the country's shekel currency following market uncertainty in the wake of Hamas' incursion from the Gaza Strip.
The central bank issued a statement Monday morning announcing the plan, saying it "will operate in the market during the coming period in order to moderate volatility in the shekel exchange rate and to provide the necessary liquidity for the continued proper functioning of the markets."
It added it would provide additional liquidity of up to US$15 billion in the market as well.
The shekel has fallen to a near eight-year low against the U.S. dollar in early trading Monday.
EL SALVADOR'S PRESIDENT, WHO HAS PALESTINIAN ANCESTRY, CALLS HAMAS 'CRIMINALS'
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who has Palestinian ancestry, decried Hamas on Sunday after its attack on Israel.
"The best thing that could happen to the Palestinian people is for Hamas to completely disappear. Those savage beasts do not represent the Palestinians," Bukele said on the social network X, previously known as Twitter. "Anyone who supports the Palestinian cause would make a great mistake siding with those criminals."
He also compared Hamas to the MS-13 gang, which has terrorized El Salvador for years.
10 NEPALIS KILLED IN VIOLENCE IN ISRAEL
Ten Nepali nationals have been killed in fighting in Israel and at least one more is missing, Nepal's Foreign Ministry said. An unknown number of others were wounded in the violence, it added. Efforts were being made to return the bodies to Nepal and embassy officials were also trying to help citizens who want to leave the country.
U.S. GIVING ISRAEL ALL THE HELP IT NEEDS, SCHUMER SAYS
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says senators were briefed by senior State Department and Pentagon officials and given assurances that the United States was giving Israel "everything they need."
"I asked the representatives of our Defense Department if they are giving Israel everything they need, and I was heartened that they said yes and that they are surging support," Schumer said in a statement after Sunday evening's unclassified briefing.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced earlier Sunday that the U.S. was sending a host of military ships and aircraft to the region. He also said it was providing the Israeli defence forces with additional equipment, including munitions.
INDONESIA EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT ESCALATING CONFLICT
Indonesian officials are urging an end to the fighting between Hamas and Israel and blaming the occupation of the Palestinian territories for the conflict.
The world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel and there is no Israeli embassy in the country. It has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinians, and President Joko Widodo has condemned the airstrikes that Israel has launched in response to Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel on Saturday.
"The occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel, as the root of the conflict, must be resolved, according to the parameters agreed upon by the UN," said the statement from Indonesia's foreign ministry.
ISRAEL WANTS TO REMOVE HAMAS FROM POWER, MILITARY SPOKESPERSON SAYS
One of Israel's goals as it battles Hamas fighters is to remove the militant group from power in the Gaza Strip, a military spokesperson said Monday.
Jonathan Conricus made the statement in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. His words appeared to go further than those of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu said Sunday that his security cabinet had made the decision to destroy Hamas' ability to govern in a way that posed a threat to Israeli civilians.
A thousand Hamas militants took part in the initial, unprecedented attack on Israel on Saturday, Conricus said.
"It is by far the worst day in Israeli history," Conricus said.
