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☆ U.N. Chief Says Restrictions Being Imposed on Aid Deliveries
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to the media on a visit to the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on Friday. (Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said restrictions were being imposed on aid deliveries to Gaza, and called on Israel to lift its blockade. “We are actively engaging with all the parties in order to clarify these restrictions so we can have these trucks moving towards where they’re needed. We need these trucks moving as soon as possible,” said Guterres at a press briefing outside the Egyptian gates of the Rafah border crossing. He didn't elaborate on what the restrictions were.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Amr Abdallah Dalsh, ”, Guterres Organizations: United Nations, Reuters Locations: Rafah, Egypt, Gaza, Israel

They were the first hostages confirmed by both sides in the conflict to be freed since Hamas gunmen burst into Israel and killed 1,400 people, mainly civilians, and abducted around 200 others. Abu Ubaida, a spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing, said the hostages were released in part "for humanitarian reasons" in response to Qatari mediation efforts. HEAVY BOMBARDMENTPalestinian media reported heavy Israeli bombardment in Gaza overnight, including a strike on a house in Jabalia in northern Gaza that killed at least 19 people. [1/8]Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter Natalie Shoshana Raanan, U.S. citizens who were taken as hostages by Palestinian Hamas militants, walk while holding hands with Brig.-Gen. Israel has already told all civilians to evacuate the northern half of the Gaza Strip, which includes Gaza City.

Persons: Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Judith Tai Raanan, Natalie, Gal Hirsch, Uri Raanan, we'll, Abu Ubaida, Israel, Yoav Gallant, Gallant, it's, Natalie Shoshana Raanan, Antony Blinken, Biden, Antonio Guterres, Nandita Bose, Nidal, Idrees Ali, Stephen Coates, Diane Craft Organizations: Gaza Hamas, Friday, Reuters, Israeli, Brig, Palestinian, of Saint, United, Israel, Hamas, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Gaza, GAZA, JERUSALEM, Israel, Bannockburn , Illinois, Chicago, Jabalia, U.S, Jerusalem, of Saint Porphyrius, Gaza City, Iran, United States, United Nations, Rafah, Egypt, Palestinian, Jericho, Washington

☆ U.N. chief pushes to get aid into Gaza but process is slow
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Aidan Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Earlier, the United States had said details of a deal to send aid through the Rafah crossing were still being hammered out. Before the outbreak of conflict, about 450 aid trucks were arriving there daily. Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people depend on humanitarian aid. A U.N. official said more than 200 trucks of aid were ready to move from Sinai to Gaza. During previous conflicts, aid had been delivered to Gaza during humanitarian pauses through the Kerem Shalom crossing, which is controlled by Israel.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Israel, Guterres, Jens Laerke, Michael Georgy, Angus MacSwan Organizations: United Nations, Hamas, Humanitarian Affairs, Thomson Locations: RAFAH, Egypt, Rafah, Palestinian, Gaza, Israel, Geneva, United States, Al Arish, Roads, Sinai

☆ Cairo Peace Summit on Gaza conflict: who will attend?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Members of the military stand guard as people take part in a protest in support of Palestinians, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Old Cairo, Egypt, October 20, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany Acquire Licensing RightsOct 20 (Reuters) - Egypt is planning to host an international conference on Saturday to discuss the escalating war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza. The list of attendees expected so far at the Cairo Peace Summit include:Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-SisiPalestinian President Mahmoud AbbasJordanian King AbdullahBahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al KhalifaKuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-SabahItalian Prime Minister Giorgia MeloniSpanish Prime Minister Pedro SanchezGreek Prime Minister Kyriakos MitsotakisCypriot President Nikos ChristodoulidesSouth African President Cyril RamaphosaGerman Foreign Minister Annalena BaerbockFrench Foreign Minister Catherine ColonnaJapanese Foreign Minister Yoko KamikawaBritish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs James CleverlyNorwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth EideUnited Nations Secretary-General Antonio GuterresEuropean Council President Charles MichelEuropean Union foreign policy chief Josep BorrellReporting by Reuters bureaus; Editing by Edmund Blair, Gareth Jones and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Abdel Fattah al, Mahmoud Abbas, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al, Ahmad al, Giorgia, Pedro Sanchez, Kyriakos, Nikos Christodoulides, Cyril Ramaphosa, Annalena Baerbock, Catherine Colonna Japanese, Yoko Kamikawa, Foreign Affairs James, Espen Barth Eide, Antonio, Charles Michel, Josep Borrell, Edmund Blair, Gareth Jones, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Palestinian, Cairo Peace, Pedro Sanchez Greek, State, Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide United Nations, Charles Michel European Union, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Old Cairo, Egypt, Gaza, Cairo, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah Bahraini, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Kuwaiti Crown, Sabah Italian, Spanish, Norwegian

The president also stressed the urgency of getting relief to Palestinian civilians in Gaza who lack food, water and medicine. Israel appeared to be getting closer to a full-scale invasion of Gaza, a densely populated enclave ruled by Hamas. The Israeli military has massed troops and equipment near the Gaza border. The command will come," Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told troops gathered at the Gaza border on Thursday. [1/8]Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon, in southern Israel, October 19, 2023.

Persons: Khan Younis, Biden, Joe Biden, Israel, Yoav Gallant, Ayman Safadi, Amir Cohen, David Satterfield, General Antonio Guterres, Gaza's, Issam Abdallah, Crescent, Abu Obeida, Al, Nidal al, Cynthia Osterman, Stephen Coates, Howard Goller Organizations: Israel, Wednesday, Israeli, REUTERS, Middle East, State Department, Hamas, United Nations, Palestinian, Gaza's Hamas, Pentagon, U.S . Navy, Hezbollah, Bank, West Bank, Thomson Locations: West Bank, Lebanon, U.S, Yemen, Israel WASHINGTON, GAZA, JERUSALEM, Gaza, Israel, kibbutzes, Jordanian, Amman, Tel Aviv, Egypt, Ashkelon, Rafah, FLASHPOINTS, Khan, Iran, Lebanese, Manara, Nur, Tulkarm, Al Jazeera, Gaza , Washington, Jerusalem

China is ramping up its diplomatic efforts in the Israel-Hamas conflict, with President Xi Jinping issuing his first public comments on the war and calling for a cease-fire. These increased diplomatic efforts show that China is seeking a quick end to the conflict, which started Oct. 7 after Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, killing more than 1,400 people. Cartoons on Ukraine and Russia View All 104 Images"It's a very cost-effective strategy in the Middle East. China has vested economic interests in the Middle East given its oil imports from the region. The efforts also highlights ongoing attempts from China to be seen more broadly as a peacemaker and a prominent influence among international groups and developing countries.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Mostafa Madbouly, Xi “, Xi, Zhai Jun, it’s, Mor, Axios, Sobol, Antonio Guterres, ” Organizations: Egyptian, Chinese Foreign, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hamas, Tamkang University, U.S, United Nations Locations: China, Israel, Beijing, State, Palestine, Egypt, Gaza, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russia

Aid convoy trucks waiting at the Rafah border crossing to enter Gaza from Egypt on Thursday. As Gaza grapples with an escalating humanitarian crisis, the prospect of getting aid through the closed Rafah border crossing with Egypt has taken on particular urgency. Hopes are high that the aid trucks would be able to cross into Gaza on Friday, according to European Union officials coordinating aid from the bloc. The American, U.N. and Egyptian officials are discussing who would carry out those cargo inspections, a person directly familiar with the matter said, requesting anonymity to speak about the delicate negotiations. “All of Gaza is waiting for the aid,” Wael Abu Omar, the spokesman for Hamas’s interior ministry, said Thursday.

Persons: Biden, Israel, ”, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “, António Guterres, Martin Griffiths, Samar Abu Elouf, Wael Abu Omar, Israel readies, Abood, Okal, ” Iyad Abuheweila, Yazbek Organizations: Diplomats, European Union, World Health Organization, International Committee, The New York Times, Palestinian Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Arish, Palestine, Cairo, U.S, Samar, E.U, Palestinian American, Jerusalem

She hopes the foundation's success in providing support to communities in Haiti even while gang violence escalates in the country will convince other nonprofits to help as well. “Part of this campaign is to help other funders understand that there is an ecosystem in Haiti that is functioning,” Montgomery Tabron said. We're trying to explain to partners that we can help connect them to those places, those pockets of hope where the investments will truly matter and make a difference." In the past month, “Pockets of Hope” raised an additional $20 million collectively in commitments from the Digicel Foundation, the Dunn Family Charitable Foundation, and the Amsterdam-based Porticus foundation. Actress Garcelle Beauvais, who emigrated from Haiti to the United States as a child, told The Associated Press that she wanted to support “Pockets of Hope” to let Haitians know that they have not been forgotten by the rest of the world.

Persons: Jovenel Moïse, Montgomery Tabron, ” Montgomery Tabron, “, Hope ”, Garcelle Beauvais, ”, Beauvais, that's, ’, António Guterres, ” Beauvais, Kellogg Organizations: —, Kellogg Foundation, Digicel Foundation, Charitable Foundation, Associated Press, Housewives, Beverly, United Nations, U.S . Agency for International, Government, USAID, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Haiti, Amsterdam, United States, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, ”, Prince, U.S

☆ China's Belt and Road Forum: What to know following Beijing's 'grand gathering'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Here are the main takeaways from China’s Belt and Road Forum. No doubt over Putin’s prominenceThe gathering left no question over who was the most important world leader in attendance in the eyes of China’s Xi. In his meeting with Putin, Xi hailed the China-Russia partnership as “a long-term commitment,” stressing “ever-lasting good neighborliness and mutually beneficial cooperation,” and alluding to their shared 4,300-kilometer border and mutual aims. Since then, skepticism about China’s global ambitions has risen in Europe, in particular over Beijing’s economic and diplomatic support for Moscow. “Obviously, competition should not mean working against each other but mutually improving each other,” he said, while touting the quantity of China’s global development projects.

Persons: Beijing CNN —, Xi, Vladimir Putin, –, Putin striding, Putin, ” Putin, Joe Biden’s, ”, Giuseppe Conte, Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Kassym, Joko, General António Guterres, ” Guterres, Zhai Jun, Wang Yi, “ Organizations: Beijing CNN, Initiative, of, Italian, Beijing, United Nations, Hamas Locations: China, Beijing, United States, Ukraine, Russia, China’s, East, Gaza, Israel, Europe, US, Greece, Austria, Portugal, Czech Republic, Moscow, Italy, Africa, Asia, Latin America, Egypt

☆ Israel-Hamas war fuels debate and nationalist sentiment on Chinese social media
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The lack of condemnation of Hamas by Chinese officials gives it support,” she said. As an increasing number of China watchers and Israeli scholars pointed out the rise in antisemitic sentiment in China, some Chinese diplomats appeared to have taken note. The Israeli diplomatic outpost has been active on Chinese social media, Lavi, from the Diane & Guilford Glazer Israel-China Policy Center told CNN. China bans foreign social media platforms and censors comments deemed marginally sensitive by the Chinese Communist Party. “Many comments also highlight China’s peace-making efforts and draw parallels between the suffering of the Palestinian people and China’s own historical experiences with colonization.”

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Yuval Waks, ” Waks, Waks, “, Beijing’s, Wang Yi, Israel, Antonio Guterres, Israel “, Adolf Hitler, Xiao Qiang, ”, Xiao, Lavi, Diane, Guilford Glazer, Hua Chunying, ’ “, Mohammed Al, Masri, Noa Argamani, ” Wendy Zhou, Mao, Zhou Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Palestinian, Hamas, Weibo, Embassy, United Nations, UN, School of Information, University of California, China Policy Center, Israeli Embassy, Diane, CNN, Shifa, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Reuters, Georgia State University, Chinese Communist Party, Israel, Palestine, Palestinian Authority Locations: China, Hong Kong, Israel, Gaza, Beijing, Israeli, Weibo, United States, University of California Berkeley, Guilford Glazer Israel, Shanghai, Al, Ahli, Gaza City

☆ US vetoes UN Security Council action on Israel, Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A general view during the voting process at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the conflict between Israel and Hamas at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., October 16, 2023. The vote on the Brazilian-drafted text was twice delayed in the past couple of days as the United States tries to broker aid access to Gaza. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the 15-member council after the vote. Washington traditionally shields its ally Israel from any Security Council action. "We're working with Israel, its neighbors, the United Nations and other partners to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Israel, Russia's U.N, Vassily Nebenzia, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Zhang Jun, Michelle Nichols, Howard Goller, Deepa Babington Organizations: United Nations Security Council, REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, United, United Nations Security, United States, U.S, United Nations, Thomas, Thomson Locations: Israel, U.N, New York, U.S, United States, Palestinian, Gaza, United, Russia, Washington, Russian, Israel's

At the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. “China is endeavoring to build itself into a stronger country and rejuvenate the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization. World leaders, representatives and delegations from more than 140 countries – including in the Middle East and the Taliban – are attending the gathering marking one decade since the launch of Xi’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative. Beijing aims to gloss over these challenges at the gathering to project its power and laud its contributions to global development as a prime example of its superior leadership. “What has been achieved in the past 10 years demonstrates that Belt and Road cooperation is on the right side of history.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Putin, Xi, “, Joe Biden, Antonio Guterres, “ I’m, ”, ” Xi, Kassym, Joko, laud Organizations: Beijing CNN —, Wednesday, Forum, Initiative, of, Israel, United Nations, CCTV, West, International, Hosting, Beijing –, Communist Party, Beijing Locations: Beijing, China, Russia, Israel, Europe, United States, Ukraine, Russian, Zaporizhzhia

☆ UN chief 'horrified' by Gaza hospital strike that killed hundreds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Oct 18 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "horrified" by hundreds of people killed in Tuesday's strike on a Gaza hospital. Before flying to the Chinese capital to attend the Belt and Road Forum, Guterres said on Wednesday he had appealed to Hamas for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages, and to Israel to allow immediate unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for Gaza. [1/2]United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF), to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Edgar Su Acquire Licensing RightsHe also emphasised the need for promotion of effective debt relief mechanisms to ensure that countries involved in the Belt and Road programme were not locked into unsustainable debt. (This story has been corrected to fix the day of week to say Tuesday, not Sunday, in paragraph 1)Reporting by Laurie Chen, Ella Cao and Liz LeeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Edgar Su, Laurie Chen, Ella Cao, Liz Lee Organizations: United Nations, Initiative, of, People, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Gaza, Israel, Beijing

The vote follows the council’s rejection Monday evening of a Russian-drafted resolution that condemned violence and terrorism against civilians and called for a “humanitarian cease-fire” but made no mention of Hamas. One calls for a “humanitarian cease-fire.” The other would condemn indiscriminate attacks on civilians and assaults on “civilian objects” in Gaza like hospitals and schools that deprive people of the means to survive. To be adopted, a resolution needs at least nine of the 15 council members to vote “yes” and no veto by a permanent member. The council vote was taking place amid frantic diplomatic efforts to prevent the Israeli-Hamas conflict from spreading. The five permanent Security Council nations are also invited, he said.

Persons: “, ”, Rosemary DiCarlo, Tor Wennesland, Islamic Jihad, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas, Biden, Abdel Fattah el, King Abdullah II of Jordan, U.N, Osama Mahmoud, Antonio Guterres, Mahmoud Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, . Security, Hamas, United Arab, Islamic, Arab, United Nations, Security Council Locations: Israel, Gaza, Brazil, Russian, Russia, United Arab Emirates, China, U.N, Palestinian, Ukraine, United States, Britain, France, U.S, Cairo

☆ How the Israel-Hamas War Tests International Law
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Israel is preparing a ground assault in Gaza following Hamas’s attack. Retired Brigadier Gen. Mark Kimmitt explains where the invasion could take place and how it could reshape the region politically. Photo Illustration: JJ Lin/WSJ“Even wars have rules,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said last week, repeating a maxim of international law that experience has shown to be more aspirational than operational. Hamas mocked the most sacrosanct of those rules when it intentionally targeted Israeli civilians in early October in an operation that killed more than 1,000 Israelis and took about 200 people hostage.

Persons: Mark Kimmitt, JJ Lin, António Guterres Organizations: ” United Nations Locations: Gaza

“We watched houses dropping as we drove, thinking we could die any minute,” she told CNN. Khan Younis had a population of just over 400,000 before the war. Nardeen Fares, 27, takes a selfie with her husband at Gaza Port, near Gaza City, in the Gaza Strip in May 2023. Over the weekend, concrete slabs were placed at the Egyptian side of the crossing, blocking all gates, a Palestinian border official told CNN Saturday. For my son, my unborn child and myself,” she told CNN.

Persons: CNN — Khulood Khaled, “, ”, ” Khulood, Khan Younis, Dominic Allen, Khan Younis –, Fares, ” Fares, ” She’s, Khan Younis won’t, Nasser, Allen, ” Allen, Antonio Guterres, Brink, Mona Ashour, Hashem Al, Ashour, Antony Blinken, Sameh Shoukry, Israel, Khulood, “ I’m, Kareem Khadder, Abeer Salman, Chloe Liu, Niamh Kennedy Organizations: CNN, United Nations Population Fund, State, CNN Sunday, Nardeen, Israel, Sunday, Nasser Hospital, World Health Organization, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UN, . Locations: Karama, Gaza, Khan, Palestine, Israel, “, Gaza City, Gaza Port, Kizan, Saudi, Ashour, Palestinian, Egypt’s, Sinai, Egypt, Rafah

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is still closed, leaving humanitarian supplies piling up on the Egyptian side of the border. But, Israel has closed its two border crossings with Gaza and imposed a “complete siege” of the territory. That has left the Rafah crossing as the only viable outlet to get people out of the enclave – and supplies into it. Also complicating matters: border authorities have not managed to repair Israeli airstrike damage to the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing, a Palestinian official said. Abu Obaida claimed 22 of the hostages in Gaza were killed in Israeli airstrikes (CNN cannot independently verify that claim).

Persons: Sameh Shoukry, Abu Odaida, Abu Obaida, Antonio Guterres, Rishi Sunak, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Yoav Gallant, Yair Lapid, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, White Organizations: Egypt’s, UN, UN Office, Humanitarian Affairs, European Commission, World Health Organization, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, CNN, United Nations, Hezbollah, British, Israeli, State Department, Pentagon, Hamas Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Lebanese, Turkish, East

☆ Israel-Hamas war: Diplomatic aid efforts ramp up for 'strangled' Gaza as regional conflict fears grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Helen Regan Kareem El Damanhoury Eyad Kourdi Abeer Salman Abbaggini | Helen Regan | Kareem El Damanhoury | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“We all know water is life – Gaza is running out of water, and Gaza is running out of life. People walk amid the destruction of houses and streets in Khan Younis, located in the southern Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Hamas is believed to be holding some 150 Israeli and foreign nationals hostage in the warren of tunnels underneath Gaza. It is also unclear if water is now flowing into southern Gaza. Israeli soldiers gather on and around a tank near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel on October 15.

Persons: ”, ’, Joe Biden, Philippe Lazzarini, ” Lazzarini, “, Marwan Jilani, Khan Younis, Mohamed Zaanoun, Dominic Allen, ” UNRWA’s Lazzarini, Isaac Herzog, Antonio Guterres, Pope Francis, Ravina Shamdasani, doesn’t, ” Shamdasani, Herzog, Antony Blinken, Benjamin, Netanyahu, Sunday Blinken, China’s, Wang Yi, Israel, Zhai Jun, Jacquelyn Martin, Jordan, United States Michael Herzog, Stéphane Dujarric, Jonathan Conricus, Emmanuel Macron “, Ebrahim Raisi, Warthogs, Ronen Zvulun, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Israel’s, UN, Israel Defense Forces, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, “, CNN, Crescent, Getty, Population Fund, Sunday, Palestinian Health Ministry, UN Human Rights, Reuters, CNN Israel, CNN Sunday, Water Authority, East Sunday, CBS Sunday, US National Locations: Gaza, Jerusalem, Israel, Rafah, Egypt, Khan, Guterres, Cairo, Jordan, nonfunctional, United States, Israeli, Iran, Syria, Israel’s, Lebanon

☆ U.N. Chief Guterres: Middle East on ‘Verge of the Abyss’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded with Hamas to release its hostages and with Israel to permit immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza, saying the region was “on the verge of the abyss.”

Persons: Antonio Guterres Organizations: United Nations Locations: Israel, Gaza

☆ Israel-Hamas war live updates: Israel prepares for next stage of operations, opens new routes south in Gaza for fleeing citizens
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Christine Wang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell warned that Israel's call to evacuate the roughly 1.1 million residents of Gaza City south of the Wadi Gaza river is "virtually impossible," echoing earlier comments from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. The U.N. has previously condemned the terrorist attacks of Palestinian group Hamas, which killed and abducted Israeli civilians and nationals. Several humanitarian agencies have decried the evacuation order, saying it would exacerbate the existing crisis for civilians in the Gaza Strip. On Friday, Guterres urged all parties to allow "immediate humanitarian access" as the Israel-Hamas conflict deepens. "We need immediate humanitarian access throughout Gaza, so that we can get fuel, food and water to everyone in need."

Persons: Josep Borrell, António Guterres, Borrell, Guterres Organizations: EU, Representative, Union for Foreign Affairs, Palacio, Congreso, United Nations, Hamas Locations: Granada, Spain, Gaza City, Gaza, North, China, Beijing, Israel

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The United Nations said it will repatriate nine peacekeepers from a South African contingent in eastern Congo who were accused of sexual assault and other abuse. The U.N. decided to immediately repatriate the peacekeepers and a senior officer of the South African army “due to the seriousness of the allegations against them,” the organization said in a statement on Friday. Such accusations of sexual abuse by U.N. peacekeepers are not new in various parts of the world, from Congo to Haiti where peacekeepers are deployed. The abuses are particularly rampant in Congo, which accounted for one-third of the nearly 2,000 sexual abuse and exploitation complaints made against the U.N. worldwide in 2017. Last year, Secretary-General António Guterres said the organization has "not succeeded in all respects, but neither have we stood still” in handling the sexual abuse crisis.

Persons: António Guterres Organizations: United Nations Locations: LAGOS, Nigeria, Congo, Haiti

☆ Gaza Humanitarian Situation at 'Dangerous New Low,' U.N. Secretary-General Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said Friday the humanitarian situation in Gaza reached “a dangerous new low,” including a water crisis related to damaged infrastructure and electricity cuts. He called for the immediate release of all hostages held in Gaza. More than 100 people were abducted from Israel last weekend by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants.

Persons: António Guterres Organizations: Islamic Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ Palestinians face Israeli deadline to leave northern Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Israel has since put the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, under a total siege and bombarded it with unprecedented air strikes. More than one million residents of northern Gaza on Friday received 24 hours notice from Israel to flee south before an expected ground offensive. While several thousand residents headed south on Friday from northern Gaza, many others said they would stay. "Death is better than leaving," said Mohammad, 20, outside a building smashed by an Israeli air strike near the centre of Gaza. There have also been fears of hostilities spreading, including to Israel's northern border with Lebanon, where clashes this week have already been the deadliest since 2006.

Persons: JERUSALEM, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Joe Biden, Daniel Hagari, Netanyahu, Mohammad, General Antonio Guterres, Biden, Ahmed Zakot, Stephane Dujarric, Martin Griffiths, Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Austin, Gallant, Blinken, King Abdullah, Abbas, videographer Issam Abdallah, U.N, Gilad Erdan, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, Michelle Nichols, Emma Farge, Jeff Mason, Eric Beech, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Gorman, Dan Whitcomb, Jonathan Landay, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: West Bank, Hamas, U.S, United Nations, REUTERS, Palestinian Authority, Gaza . U.S . Defence, Friday, Israeli, Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Northern Gaza, Israel, Gaza, Philadelphia, Egypt, Jordan, Gaza City, Gaza . U.S, Qatar, U.S, Lebanon, Jerusalem, New York, Geneva, Washington, Amman, Los Angeles

☆ Palestinians Face Israeli Deadline to Leave Northern Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - More than 1 million Palestinians in northern Gaza faced an Israeli deadline on Saturday to flee south, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had only just begun to retaliate for last week's Hamas rampage across southern Israel. Israel has since put the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, under a total siege and bombarded it with unprecedented air strikes. More than one million residents of northern Gaza on Friday received 24 hours notice from Israel to flee south before an expected ground offensive. While several thousand residents headed south on Friday from northern Gaza, many others said they would stay. There have also been fears of hostilities spreading, including to Israel's northern border with Lebanon, where clashes this week have already been the deadliest since 2006.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Joe Biden, Daniel Hagari, Netanyahu, Mohammad, General Antonio Guterres, Biden, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Martin Griffiths, Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Austin, Gallant, Blinken, King Abdullah, Abbas, videographer Issam Abdallah, Gilad Erdan, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, Michelle Nichols, Emma Farge, Jeff Mason, Eric Beech, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Gorman, Dan Whitcomb, Jonathan Landay, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Hamas, U.S, United Nations, Palestinian Authority, Gaza . U.S . Defence, Friday, Israeli, Bank, West Bank, Reuters Locations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Israel, Philadelphia, Egypt, Jordan, Gaza . U.S, Qatar, U.S, Lebanon, Jerusalem, New York, Geneva, Washington, Amman, Los Angeles

☆ At UN, Palestinians call for halt to Israeli offensive, world powers mull options
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Guterres briefed the 15-member U.N. Security Council behind closed doors on Friday. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said after the meeting, adding that Russia was also ready to mediate between Israel and the Palestinians. The United States has traditionally shielded its ally Israel from any Security Council action. He said the United Nations and the Security Council were "facing one of their most pivotal moments," adding: "Will they remain true to their founding values? The Arab Group ambassadors called for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid access to Gaza and a stop to any mass displacement of Palestinians.

Persons: Ahmed Zakot, Antonio Guterres, Riyad Mansour, Israel's U.N, Gilad Erdan, Guterres, U.N, Vassily Nebenzia, Israel, Barbara Woodward, we've, Zhang Jun, Erdan, Mansour, Michelle Nichols, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Gaza UN, Lebanon UNITED NATIONS, Palestinian United, Arab Group, United Nations, Security, West Bank, Security Council, Reuters, UNSC, United, Hamas, Arab, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Gaza City, West Bank, Lebanon, Palestinian United Nations, Israel, Russia, United States, Britain, France, China, British

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