Wednesday, October 29th's live news on the Middle East conflict. Israel accuses Hamas of repeatedly violating truce agreements (and Hamas accuses Israel). Raids in Rafah, Gaza, and refugee camps. Trump: The ceasefire is not at risk.

• After the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, in which 1,194 Israelis were killed and 250 kidnapped, Israel attacked the Gaza Strip, decimating Hamas leaders and structures and killing over 68,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians. Among them were 19,000 children.
• Yesterday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered Israeli military forces to conduct new intensive raids on the Gaza Strip after accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire on several occasions. He was referring to the latest handover of the remains of a body that, however, does not belong to one of the 13 hostages killed in Gaza, and to the firefights that took place today in southern Gaza between the IDF and militants. The offensive marks the first significant escalation since the truce brokered on October 10 by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, along with Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which included, among other things, the exchange of hostages and the gradual entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip. Hamas, in response, accused Israel of violating the truce and postponed the handover of the body of another hostage, scheduled for today. Israeli raids on Gaza City, Rafah, and several refugee camps. At least 100 civilian victims, including 46 children.
• Vance: Skirmishes, peace will hold

6:38 PM | October 29

Israel will continue to respect the ceasefire

Israel will continue to respect the ceasefire, but we will also respond to Hamas's violations. The Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote this in X,

stating that Hamas's ceasefire violations have caused the deaths of three Israelis. The failure to return the 13 remaining hostages also constitutes a serious violation.

On both points, Hamas had responded that it was not responsible for the firefight in Rafah, which cost the lives of the three Israeli soldiers. And that it was committed to returning the hostages' bodies, an operation made difficult, as confirmed by the mediators, both by the conditions in Gaza after two years of bombing, and by the limitations imposed by Israel itself (a complaint reiterated by the mediators yesterday). Hamas also made it known that it has no interest in violating the truce.

Irreconcilable positions, naturally. What is certain is that the Israeli response caused over 100 civilian casualties yesterday alone, including 46 children.

Tel Aviv diplomacy then added: Remember how it all began: on October 6, 2023, Israel was respecting the ceasefire. On October 7, Hamas violated the ceasefire. Hamas's behavior is dangerous and threatens this ceasefire and the hope for a better future. Furthermore, the video footage of the staged `burial' and `discovery' of the body illustrates the level of malice behind these violations, it concludes.

6:10 PM | October 29

Guterres firmly condemns Israel's attacks on Gaza

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemns yesterday's Israeli attacks on Gaza, his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said. The Secretary-General strongly condemns yesterday's deaths from Israeli airstrikes against civilians in Gaza, including many children. He condemns all actions that undermine the ceasefire and endanger civilians, Dujarric told reporters, calling on all parties to uphold their commitments and avoid any action that threatens civilians or hinders humanitarian aid.

6:06 PM | October 29

Qatar: Israel Tortures Palestinian Detainees, It's Inhumane

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani accused Israel of mistreating and torturing Palestinian prisoners. This is a problem that must be addressed. Israel should be held accountable for what is happening to Palestinians in its prisons, he said while attending a Council on Foreign Relations conference in New York, reported by the Times of Israel. I don't know if any of you here watch the videos that Minister Ben Gvir is filming of the prisoners over there. It's truly inhumane, and I think this should never be acceptable to anyone in today's world, he added, referring to the ultranationalist Minister of National Security in Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Regarding the violations of the ceasefire, of which he is one of the mediators, the Qatari prime minister expects the truce to hold:"Fortunately, I think both sides recognize that the ceasefire must be respected and must abide by the agreement," he said, quoted by AFP. Appearing cautiously, al-Thani did not accuse Israel of violating the ceasefire and pointed the finger at the Hamas attack in which an Israeli soldier died yesterday in the Strip."This is essentially a violation by the Palestinians," he said.

5:27 PM | October 29

Israel: Francesca Albanese, a witch, turned a word into a weapon

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon attacked the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, calling her a witch after Albanese presented a new report on Gaza and the West Bank to the UN General Assembly via video link from South Africa, due to US sanctions. Danon called Albanese's report shameful and one-sided. Albanese took the word"genocide," born from the ashes of the Holocaust, and weaponized it, not to defend the victims of history, but to attack them, Danon stated during the meeting. Representatives from many countries condemned her statements. A human rights lawyer, Albanese is a"special rapporteur," an external expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to assess the human rights situation in a specific location or thematic area. Israel has long challenged the Human Rights Council and its rapporteurs, accusing them of being biased.

5:26 PM | October 29

Albanese presents his report to the UN: 63 states are complicit in the Gaza genocide.

Francesca Albanese, the UN independent special rapporteur for Palestine, has attacked the states complicit in Israel's genocide in Gaza, calling for a new multilateralism to prevent its recurrence. Presenting a 24-page report to the General Assembly's third committee examining the role of 63 states in the collective crime of genocide in the Strip, the expert says that Israel has left Gaza strangled, starved, and destroyed. In response, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon calls her an evil witch. Through illegal actions and deliberate omissions, too many states have damaged, established, and protected Israel's militarized apartheid, allowing its colonial enterprise to metastasize into genocide, the supreme crime against the Palestinian people, Albanese said from South Africa. The report analyzes how the live-streamed atrocity was facilitated by third-party states, focusing on how the US provided diplomatic cover for Israel.

5:25 PM | October 29

IAEA chief: Iran detects activity near nuclear sites, but not uranium enrichment

Despite the lack of access to Iranian nuclear sites, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors using satellite monitoring have detected no activity indicating Tehran has accelerated its production of enriched uranium beyond what was accumulated before the 12-day war with Israel in June. However, they have observed activity around the sites where the stockpiles are stored. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said this in an interview with the Associated Press at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The 60% enriched nuclear material is still in Iran. And this is one of the points we are discussing because we need to go back there and confirm that the material is there and not being diverted for other uses, Grossi told AP. This is very important. The head of the UN nuclear agency warns that those stockpiles could allow Iran to build up to 10 nuclear bombs if it decides to weaponize its program. Iran has long insisted that its program is peaceful, but the IAEA and Western countries maintain that Tehran had an organized atomic bomb program until 2003. Grossi noted that without additional access, the IAEA has had to rely on satellite imagery, which can only show part of the picture.

Italy to the UN: Albanese's report is neither credible nor partial.

The report presented by Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese is completely lacking in credibility and impartiality. As Italy, we are not surprised. The content of the dossier clearly exceeds the Special Rapporteur's specific mandate, which does not include investigations into alleged violations committed by other states or entities, nor assessments of cooperation between third countries and the ICC. This was stated by Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Permanent Representative to the UN. Italy is among the 63 states accused in Albanese's report of being complicit in the genocide in Gaza.

4:41 PM | October 29

Israel: Imminent threat struck

The IDF confirmed in a statement that it carried out a targeted attack on a weapons depot in the northern Gaza Strip, aiming to eliminate a terrorist threat. The army recently conducted a targeted attack in the Beit Lahia area of the northern Gaza Strip, targeting a terrorist facility storing weapons and aircraft intended for an imminent terrorist attack against soldiers and the State of Israel, the army said. IDF troops in the Southern Command remain deployed under the ceasefire agreement and continue to eliminate immediate threats, the army added. Previously, the Israeli army announced the return to the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, in effect since October 10, after conducting a series of attacks against dozens of targets in response to the shooting that killed a soldier yesterday.

4:21 PM | October 29

Hamas will release the bodies of four hostages in the coming days, Israeli forces say.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimates that the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas will return four bodies of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip in the coming days, including the two it had planned to release yesterday, Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported.

4:19 PM | October 29

Hamas: We will have no role in the Gaza Strip's management committee.

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas will have no role in the Gaza Strip's management committee. This was stated by Taher al-Nunu, a senior official of the Islamist movement, quoted by the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian news agency Quds, who said several names of independent figures have been submitted to our brothers in Egypt to head the committee that will be responsible for administering the Gaza Strip.

4:17 PM | October 29

Vance: I'm insulted by the Knesset vote on the West Bank.

During my visit to Israel, I felt insulted by the Knesset's vote to annex the West Bank. The Knesset's vote on annexing the West Bank struck me as ridiculous. As for peace in the Middle East, things are going well, according to US Vice President J.D. Vance.

4:12 PM | October 29

France: Ceasefire at risk, stabilization force needed

The ceasefire in Gaza is at risk and must be restored as soon as possible. French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon stated this at the end of the Council of Ministers. Our priority is to integrate into the mechanism put in place by the Americans to stabilize the enclave, Bregeon explained, adding that Paris is discussing with Washington the mandate of the future international stabilization force. The spokesperson also urged the Palestinians to quickly form the committee responsible for managing Gaza. In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry condemned Hamas's attacks against Israeli forces and, at the same time, deplored the Israeli bombings conducted in response, which have caused large numbers of civilian casualties.

4:09 PM | October 29

UN: Horrific reports of 100 Palestinian deaths in new Israeli raids

The reports of the deaths of over a hundred Palestinians in new Israeli raids on Gaza are horrifying, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who urged all parties not to let peace slip away. Reports that over 100 Palestinians were killed overnight in a series of Israeli airstrikes, primarily targeting residential buildings, displaced persons' tents, and schools across the Gaza Strip, following the death of an Israeli soldier, are horrifying, Turk said in a statement.

3:36 PM | October 29

Tajani: In the next few days we will welcome more children and young people from Gaza

In the coming days, Italy will welcome another group of Palestinians leaving Gaza. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, on the sidelines of the Italy-Senegal Business Forum underway in Dakar. We have two ongoing projects: one is a university program for young people from Gaza, Tajani said, noting that it is a unique project in the world. The other involves welcoming children into our best hospitals, where we will continue to offer treatment and assistance, the minister added.

3:29 PM | October 29

Qatari PM: Truce will hold despite violations

Qatar is confident that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will hold despite the violations."Fortunately," said Qatar's Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who brokered the agreement, speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York,"I think the parties, both sides, recognize that the ceasefire must hold and that they must respect the agreement."

3:28 PM | October 29

€150 million from the EU to Syrians returning from Türkiye

The European Union (EU) plans to provide €150 million in support of refugees returning from Turkey in Syria, after having already allocated €95 million since last year to support refugees who have lived for years in Turkish cities and decided to return to Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024. The EU is planning an additional €150 million to complement this assistance, including support in Syria to help ensure the sustainability of repatriations, Jurgis Vilcinskas, head of the European Union delegation in Ankara pending the appointment of a new ambassador, told ANSA. He explained that part of the €150 million fund will be allocated to the most vulnerable returnees to cover immediate basic needs, housing repairs, and livelihood support, and will be provided in collaboration with UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, in Syria. Over 2.448 million Syrians, who fled the war in recent years, still live in Turkey with temporary protection status. Since the fall of Assad, many of the refugees have begun returning to their country of origin, and over half a million have returned to Syria. Brussels funds have so far supported voluntary returns with a comprehensive case management system to process voluntary repatriations in accordance with international law, independent monitoring by the UNHCR, promotion of access to legal assistance, and transportation support. While in February 2024, the European Council allocated €2 billion to continue supporting refugees in Turkey for the period 2025-2027, as Vilcinskas emphasized, since 2016 the EU has allocated a total of €12 billion to assist Syrian migrants in Turkey.

3:08 PM | October 29

The World Bank: More than $200 billion to rebuild Syria

More than $200 billion will be needed to rebuild Syria's infrastructure, devastated by over 14 years of internal and regional war. This is the estimate provided by the latest World Bank report on the subject. A detailed study published by the international financial organization estimates that the conflict has caused direct physical damage to infrastructure and buildings totaling an estimated $108 billion. This figure, it states, represents approximately one-third of the country's entire gross domestic product before the outbreak of violence in 2011. The greatest losses were recorded in the infrastructure sector, which suffered damages amounting to $52 billion, or 48% of the total, followed by residential buildings ($33 billion) and non-residential buildings ($23 billion). The most affected geographical areas in terms of severity of damage are Aleppo and its region, the outskirts of Damascus, and the central region of Homs. Based on this damage, the report estimates the total cost of rebuilding Syria at a conservative $216 billion, with projections ranging between $140 billion and $345 billion.

3:07 PM | October 29

Hamas: Israel Wants to Undermine the Sharm El Sheikh Agreement

The Islamist group Hamas condemned the latest Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, which killed at least 104 people, and accused Israel of undermining the ceasefire agreement with the complicity of Donald Trump's US government."The insidious escalation against our people in Gaza reveals a clear Israeli intention to undermine the ceasefire agreement and impose new realities by force, with the complicity of the US government, which provides the fascist Netanyahu government with political cover to continue its crimes," Hamas said in a statement. The Movement urged the ceasefire mediators and guarantors, including Qatar and Egypt, to immediately pressure the Israeli government to halt the massacres and commit to the agreement. Among the victims of the raids that began yesterday afternoon and ended this morning, when Israel reinstated the ceasefire, were 46 children and 20 women. At least 253 were injured.

3:03 PM | October 29

The Israeli government: Hamas is deceiving the world

Hamas is deceiving the entire world, a spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office claimed during a briefing with foreign media, according to Kan. Hamas is deceiving Israel, it is deceiving US President Donald Trump, and it is deceiving the world, she said.

2:59 PM | October 29

Netanyahu briefed Trump before Gaza attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed U.S. President Donald Trump of the IDF's attack on the Gaza Strip yesterday, before it began. A spokeswoman for Netanyahu's office said this during a briefing with foreign media, Kan reported.

2:44 PM | October 29

Israel: Armed Forces launch investigation into leaked video of alleged abuse of Palestinian detainee

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has launched an investigation into the leaked surveillance video from the Sde Teiman detention facility in the Negev Desert, near the border with the Gaza Strip, in which Israeli soldiers allegedly abused a Palestinian detainee. The IDF announced this in a statement on X. The footage, which circulated in August 2024, shows soldiers at Sde Teiman isolating one of the detainees, who was lying facedown on the floor, and then surrounding him with riot shields, committing the alleged abuse. The detainee was reportedly later taken away for medical treatment due to his serious injuries. Earlier this year, Israeli military prosecutors filed an indictment against five reserve soldiers for the abuse. According to the IDF, as part of the investigation, the possible involvement of individuals from the Military Prosecutor General's Office in the distribution of the video broadcast by Channel 12 is being examined. Military Prosecutor General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi has requested leave until further details on the matter are clarified, according to the IDF. Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir approved the request. For his part, Defense Minister Israel Katz said he was informed by Zamir of Tomer-Yerushalmi's request for leave."I welcome and support the decision. This is a serious matter that has created a blood libel against IDF soldiers in Israel and around the world, and it must be examined and investigated thoroughly," Katz said.

2:28 PM | October 29

The Knesset has approved the bill to split the role of the Attorney General.

Benjamin Netanyahu has scored a success in the Knesset. The Israeli parliament has approved, in its first reading, bills to split the office of the Attorney General into three, effectively limiting the autonomy and powers currently concentrated in a single magistrate. If the reform receives final approval, the Attorney General will remain the government's legal advisor and represent it in civil and administrative courts, a sort of state attorney, while a public prosecutor will be entrusted with managing criminal matters. Management of the Office of the Attorney General will no longer be under the exclusive control of the magistrate, but will be subject to the government and the Minister of Justice. In effect, the reform will dismantle the Attorney General's fundamental role as check on the executive branch. That task is now being carried out by Gali Baharav-Miara, chief prosecutor in the prime minister's corruption trial and a staunch opponent of the justice reform promoted by Netanyahu, who unsuccessfully tried to fire her.

The attorney general will no longer have the power to independently initiate an investigation or criminal prosecution against the prime minister, a minister, or a member of parliament. The decision to open investigations against senior officials must be approved by a committee composed of a High Court judge, a former attorney general, and a private sector lawyer. The proposals will now go to the committee and will require three more readings before they become law. But the process may not be so smooth, even if the majority supporting the reform is solid. It's likely, the Israeli press notes, that legal challenges will be filed against the undermining of a cornerstone of the separation of powers. For now, however, the executive branch is rejoicing. Dividing the role of the attorney general is an essential and necessary reform of the judicial system. The time has come to end the inherent conflict of interest and excessive concentration of power embodied in this role, commented Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir echoed this sentiment:"This is not a revolution against the legal system, but a necessary amendment for the benefit of the people of Israel and the State of Israel," he assured.

2:24 PM | October 29

Israeli forces open fire on a Lebanese army vehicle in the south

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers crossed the Blue Line (the de facto border with Lebanon) and attempted to intercept a Lebanese army vehicle traveling between Bastara Farm and the town of Majidiyeh, opening fire. The Lebanese French-language newspaper L'Orient Le Jour reported, adding that the attack caused no injuries.

2:20 PM | October 29

Hezbollah announces the death of one of its members

The pro-Iranian Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah announced that the man who died yesterday from wounds sustained in an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attack in Wadi Jilo, in the southern district of Tyre, was a member of the party. The armed group added that Hussein Ali Tohme' will be buried today in the village of Aitit, where he was born.

2:07 PM | October 29

Hamas: Bodies of two more Israeli hostages found in Gaza

The bodies of two Israeli hostages killed in the Gaza Strip have been found in the Palestinian enclave, the Palestinian movement Hamas said today. During today's search operations, the bodies of two Zionist prisoners, Amiram Cooper and Saher Baruch, were recovered, the statement read. Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement in Gaza after it was revealed that the movement returned to Israel part of the remains of a hostage whose body had been recovered by Israeli soldiers about two years ago, instead of returning the remains of other hostages still held in Gaza.

1:56 PM | October 29

Israeli forces hit dozens of Hamas targets overnight across the Strip.

Israeli forces said they carried out precision strikes last night against dozens of Hamas terrorist targets across the Gaza Strip, in response to the Islamist group's flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement yesterday. In a statement on Telegram, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that, together with the Shin Bet internal security agency, they struck the following targets: key terrorists, observation posts, weapons production warehouses, launching sites, underground tunnels, and mortar launch sites. Attempts were also made against three terrorists with the rank of battalion commander, two with the rank of deputy battalion commander, and 16 with the rank of company commander. Dozens of terrorists from terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip have been targeted in the past 24 hours, the statement continues.

1:47 PM | October 29

The EU renews its call for respect for the ceasefire

European Commission Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Anouar El Anouni, at his regular press briefing with European journalists this morning, stated that, regarding the events in Gaza, the EU called on all parties to avoid actions that could jeopardize the ceasefire. The EU is closely monitoring yesterday's events in Gaza, the spokesperson noted.

1:46 PM | October 29

IDF: Five terrorists responsible for October 7 attacks eliminated

In operations conducted over the past 24 hours, the Israeli Armed Forces have targeted dozens of terrorists, including five of the perpetrators of the October 7, 2023, massacre. The IDF announced this. Among those hit and eliminated were terrorists who had infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 massacre: Muhammad Isa, who served as commander of a Nukhba platoon; Fawwaz Uwayda, who served as commander of a Nukhba terrorist cell; and terrorists from the Mujahideen terrorist organization, Muhammad Abu Sharia and Nidal Abu Sharia, the IDF said in a statement. In a targeted strike, the IDF eliminated terrorist Hatem Maher Mousa Qudra, commander of a Nukhba company in northern Khan Younis who led the infiltration of Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha during the brutal October 7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas, the IDF further reported.

1:24 PM | October 29

Israeli Ambassador to Pope:"Condemning Anti-Semitism Is a Good Thing"

I had the honor of participating in this morning's audience commemorating the Declaration Nostra Aetate. Pope Leo XIV delivered an encouraging message, reaffirming his commitment to Jewish-Catholic dialogue in the spirit of the Declaration and rejecting all forms of anti-Semitism. This was stated by Israel's Ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, in a post on the Facebook page of the Embassy of Israel in the Vatican. The post was accompanied by a photo of Sideman greeting Pope Leo himself and a delegation of rabbis today, at the end of the general audience in St. Peter's Square.

1:23 PM | October 29

France: Ceasefire must be re-established as soon as possible.

The ceasefire in Gaza is under threat and must be restored as soon as possible. This was requested by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot during a government meeting."Our priority is to be part of the system put in place by the Americans to stabilize the enclave," explained French government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon, quoting the minister."At the same time, we are discussing with the Americans the mandate of the future International Stabilization Force and urging the Palestinians to quickly form the Gaza Management Committee," she added.

1:11 PM | October 29

Thus the exchange of remains inflames the conflict

(by Guido Olimpio) ​ Everything is bartered in the Middle East: hostages, prisoners, the remains of those who died in the eternal conflict. And then there are the tricks, the bodies hidden who knows where. A dossier of high emotional value for the contenders and it doesn't matter when the story began.

For months, even years, Israel has been searching for the remains of Eli Cohen, the spy who infiltrated the highest levels of the hierarchy in Syria and was hanged in 1965 in a square in Damascus. There had been contacts with the regime, facilitated by Moscow, but the results had been in vain. They said that Tel Aviv had purchased the Russian anti-Covid vaccine Sputnik as a gesture of thanks, but it was of little use. The Mossad had asked the rebels for help in searching the Yarmouk refugee camp, a search that came to nothing. Only recently did they recover a watch from the victim, and after the Assads' ouster, the infiltrator's archive was returned, a gesture that could finally precede the handover of the remains, assuming they were actually located. (...) 

Read the full article here 

1:03 PM | October 29

Berlin: Hamas must respect the agreements, we ask Israel for restraint

Hamas is required to uphold its part of the Phase 1 agreement, lay down its weapons, and finally hand over the remains of the deceased hostages. We call on Israel to exercise military restraint to prevent further suffering, according to a statement signed by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul before his trip to the Middle East. Wadephul expressed concern about the resumption of fighting and also noted that the 20-point plan points the way to definitively end the cycle of war and destruction. Germany will therefore continue to actively participate in its implementation.

12:30 PM | October 29

Cardinal Pizzaballa: We need new leaders. And no one has a monopoly on pain.

If we really want something new, We need new leaders. Whoever brought the conflict to this point cannot be the only one to lead the future. Without a new vision within Israel, without a new, strong and recognized Palestinian leadership, it will be difficult to reach a stable solution.

Speaking - in an interview with the weekly Credere (San Paolo), on newsstands tomorrow - is the cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. In addition to suggesting a change in leadership of the Israeli state and the Palestinian Authority, he comments on what is happening in Gaza in dramatic terms: The pictures don't do it justice. The human and social fabric has been completely torn apart and daily life has come to a halt.

No one has a monopoly on pain., Pizzaballa continues. The Palestinians don't have it, nor do the Israelis. The Israeli people experienced the horror of October 7th, the feeling of being surrounded—while the Palestinian people knew devastation and abandonment. Without acknowledging the pain of others, there is no future; that's where we must start again.

Regarding the West Bank, Pizzaballa explains that we cannot think of pacifying Gaza, defeating Hamas, and forgetting what is happening in the West Bank: the Palestinian question is a whole. To understand the future of the Palestinians, we must try to understand where Israeli society is going.

As for the Christians in Gaza, the cardinal continues, some will stay, others will leave; it's inevitable. The real risk is that their numbers will be ever fewer.

And on Donald Trump: It's a fact that the ceasefire and the release of the hostages were possible thanks to pressure from the United States, Arab countries, and other factors. Peace now requires inclusion, justice, and two states living together in security and dignity. A new political vision is needed.

11:49 AM | October 29

Israel bans Red Cross visits to Palestinian prisoners

Israel has banned the International Committee of the Red Cross from visiting Palestinians detained under a law targeting"unlawful combatants," Defense Minister Israel Katz said. The opinions presented to me leave no doubt that Red Cross visits to terrorists in prison would seriously undermine state security. The security of the state and our citizens comes first, Katz said, according to a statement released by his office.

10:59 AM | October 29

Crosetto: This truce is all we have, it must be defended.

There are many critical issues surrounding the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and there will be more in the coming weeks, months, and years. But this truce is all we have, and therefore we must defend it at all costs and implement it at all costs, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told SkyTg24. A peace, he added, that must be strengthened day by day, knowing that there will be difficult days, knowing that one day we will move forward and another day we will go backward, but day by day we must build the conditions for a lasting peace, to restore dignified living conditions and give the Palestinian population a future, and allow Israel to live without the constant threat of terrorism in its cities.

10:35 AM | October 29

Netanyahu offers condolences for the killing of the reservist

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences over the death of reservist Yona Efraim Feldbaum, killed yesterday in an attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip."My wife and I express our deepest condolences to his family and embrace them in this moment of grief," Netanyahu said in a statement."Efi fought courageously against Hamas's murderers and gave his life for Israel's security," the prime minister added.

10:31 AM | October 29

The death toll in Gaza rises: at least 100 victims, according to the Civil Defense.

A total of 100 Palestinians, including 35 minors, have been killed in Israeli shelling in the Gaza Strip since yesterday, during the breakdown of the ceasefire. The updated, but still provisional, toll was provided by the Gaza Civil Defense. Recovery and rescue operations continue, and there are fears that more victims may be buried beneath the rubble. At least 101 dead have been taken to hospital, including 35 children, several women, and elderly people, according to Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for the Civil Defense. Sources at five hospitals in the Palestinian territory, which received the victims, confirmed the toll.

Ben Gvir attacks Netanyahu: If he doesn't destroy Hamas, the government will have no right to exist.

If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abandons his goal of dismantling Hamas, the government will have no right to exist, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stated in a statement on X. Once again, Hamas has killed a soldier during the ceasefire, and once again the prime minister has chosen to end the incident with the concept of a"measured response" and an immediate return to the ceasefire, while continuing to provide humanitarian aid, Ben Gvir states, specifying that the prime minister must return to full-scale war and commit to quickly achieving his primary objective: the destruction of Hamas. The Israeli National Security Minister then reminds the prime minister of his commitment to achieving all the objectives of the war. If it decides to abandon the goal of dismantling Hamas and settles for a declaration of"victory" and an apparent dismantling, continuing to preserve the 6/10 policy (that prior to October 7, 2023) and the existence of Hamas in practice, the government will have no right to exist.

10:06 AM | October 29

Israel, Minister Katz: Anyone who violates the agreements will pay the highest price.

Anyone who attacks Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and violates the ceasefire agreements will pay the highest price, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said, quoted by Channel 12. There is and will be no immunity for any of the leaders of the Hamas terrorist organization, neither for those who wear elegant suits nor those hiding in tunnels. Anyone who raises a hand against IDF soldiers will be cut off, Katz stated, adding that the Armed Forces have been instructed to use force against all Hamas targets and will continue to do so in the future.

9:53 AM | October 29

WHO: 7,600 patients evacuated from Gaza since conflict began

Since the start of the war, the World Health Organization (WHO) has evacuated more than 7,600 patients from Gaza requiring emergency specialist care abroad. Two-thirds of them are children. To date, 15,600 sick or injured people have yet to be evacuated. According to WHO data, the majority of Gazans evacuated abroad have been received by Egypt (3,995), the United Arab Emirates (1,450), Qatar (970) and Turkey (437). The remaining patients have been distributed among the European Union (299) countries, Jordan (253), Algeria (136), Tunisia (73), Oman (56) and the United States (48). According to the most recent data, released on 28 October, WHO has evacuated more than 1,000 people from the Gaza Strip to the WHO European Region, an area larger than the European Union (EU). Turkey, Italy, and Uzbekistan have received the largest number of Palestinian patients, followed by Spain and the United Kingdom. The WHO-led medical evacuations are free of charge. Host countries cover all healthcare costs, as well as accommodation and essential supplies for those accompanying the minors (at least one parent or guardian). Furthermore, these complex evacuations are intended for seriously ill or injured patients requiring life-saving specialized care not available in the Gaza Strip, after being identified by a doctor at a public hospital.

9:37 AM | October 29

IDF: Ceasefire restored

The Israeli army said it has reinstated the ceasefire in Gaza. Following a series of attacks targeting dozens of terrorist targets in response to Hamas violations, the IDF has begun enforcing the ceasefire again, the army said. As part of the attacks, the IDF and the ISA targeted 30 terrorists who held leadership positions within terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, it added.

9:08 AM | October 29

Israel reinstates ceasefire

After a wave of Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip overnight and this morning, the ceasefire will resume at 10 a.m. local time (9 a.m. GMT), military sources told The Times of Israel.

8:22 AM | October 29

Wafa news agency: 63 dead in Israeli raids

Medical sources in Gaza Strip hospitals reported this morning that 63 Palestinians, including 24 children, were killed in a series of ongoing Israeli airstrikes targeting homes and tents of displaced people in various parts of the Strip. This was reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Several victims remain trapped under rubble, making it difficult for rescuers and ambulances to reach them.

7:52 AM | October 29

Trump: We could eliminate Hamas easily

Hamas is a tiny part of peace in the Middle East. If we had to, we could eliminate Hamas very easily, and that would be the end of it. We'd rather not. We've made a deal with them, said US President Donald Trump. Trump spoke aboard Air Force One, responding to a question about Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip following a violation of the ceasefire agreement by the Palestinian terrorist organization.

7:45 AM | October 29

Trump: Peace process is entering second phase

The Middle East peace process is entering its second phase, US President Donald Trump stated, without providing further details. Trump also emphasized that Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip should not be considered a violation of the ceasefire:"They killed an Israeli soldier. Therefore, the Israelis responded, and they had to. When things like this happen, they have to." The president, however, expressed confidence that the current situation does not pose a threat to the cessation of hostilities and that nothing will jeopardize the agreement reached on Gaza.

6:32 AM | October 29

The death toll from the new Israeli raids rises to 50 dead and 200 wounded.

At least 50 Palestinian civilians have reportedly lost their lives during Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Civil Defense said. At least 50 people have been killed, including 22 children and several women, following continued Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since yesterday evening, the defense said. AFP Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for the agency, added that approximately 200 people were injured in a clear and flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement, calling the situation in Gaza catastrophic and terrifying.

5:17 AM | October 29

Israeli Army: One Soldier Killed in Rafah

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a reservist was killed yesterday afternoon in an attack by Palestinian terrorists against troops stationed in the Rafah area of the southern Gaza Strip. Tel Aviv media reported the killing. The soldier was Sergeant Major. Yonah Efraim Feldbaum Feldbaum, 37, from the West Bank settlement of Neria. According to an initial IDF investigation, terrorists used rocket launchers and sniper fire against forces operating in the Jenina neighborhood. The area is located on the eastern side of the Yellow Line, which is under Israeli control according to the ceasefire agreement. Hamas has denied any involvement in Feldbaum's death and rejected allegations that its fighters attacked Israeli troops, promising to respect the US-brokered ceasefire with Israel.

2:57 AM | October 29

Trump: Israel has the right to retaliate, ceasefire not at risk

US President Donald Trump, who is leaving Japan for South Korea, spoke to reporters on the flight about the breakdown of the Middle East truce: Israel has the right to retaliate. If Hamas doesn't behave as it should, it will be eliminated. The US president is convinced that the ceasefire is not at risk and that nothing will jeopardize it, while adding that Israel should retaliate if its soldiers were killed."They killed an Israeli soldier. So the Israelis retaliated. And they should retaliate," Trump told reporters on Air Force One.

12:38 AM | October 29

Gaza: 31 dead in Israeli incursions

The civilian death toll from Israeli incursions into the Gaza Strip has already risen to 30, including nine children and six women. Palestinian Civil Defense sources told AFP, providing details: four of the victims were killed in an airstrike that hit a home in Gaza, where the Al Banna family lived; three people were killed in another airstrike that hit the home of the Abu Hana family; three died in the Al Shati refugee camp; one died in the Al Nasr neighborhood, and one girl was also killed in an attack on an apartment on Al Jalaa Street, in the western part of the city. In the north of the enclave, Israeli strikes killed three people in a school serving as a shelter, while in the center of the Strip, four people were killed in the Musirate camp, including a child and a woman, and five others were killed in the Al Bureij camp.

Seven more people were also killed in Khan Younis, southern Gaza: five in a vehicle attack on Al Qassam Street, including two children and one woman, and two more in an attack in the Al Amal neighborhood. Sources at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which received the bodies of the children involved in the vehicle attack, told EFE that they arrived in pieces. Civil Defense teams and relevant authorities continue their work on the ground despite the difficult humanitarian conditions resulting from ongoing bombardment and resource shortages. Rescue operations are also continuing to retrieve people trapped under the rubble, the rescue team said. The Israeli army launched a wave of attacks on Gaza on Tuesday evening in response to what the Israeli government described as ceasefire violations by Hamas.

Explosions in Gaza after Netanyahu orders to attack the Strip

0:13 | October 29

At least 18 Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes

Medical sources in Gaza told Al Jazeera that at least 18 Palestinians were killed and about 50 others injured in Israeli airstrikes in the war-torn enclave. Israeli warplanes launched a series of strikes from north to south after Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire in the Palestinian territories, the latest test of a fragile agreement brokered earlier this month by US President Donald Trump.

0:12 | October 29

Hamas releases names of two dead Israeli hostages

The military wing of the terrorist group Hamas announced that it managed to recover the bodies of two hostages in the Gaza Strip today, although it did not say it intended to hand them over to Israel this evening. This was reported by Times of Israel .

Previously, Hamas had said it had found the body of a hostage in a tunnel in southern Gaza and intended to hand it over to Israel at 8 p.m. Hamas later said it postponed the handover due to Israel's ceasefire violations. According to Al-Jazeera, citing a Telegram statement, the bodies of the dead Israeli prisoners recovered by the Qassam Brigades were Amiram Cooper And Sahar Baruch There are still 13 hostage bodies in Gaza.

0:11 | October 29

Türkiye: Israeli attacks violate ceasefire

The Turkish Foreign Ministry says Israel's recent attacks on Gaza constitute a clear violation of the ceasefire. The statement expresses deep concern over reports of civilian casualties."We reiterate that full compliance with the ceasefire is crucial to preserving hope for lasting peace and establishing regional security," the Turkish government said."We reiterate our call on Israel to respect the ceasefire and refrain from actions that could undermine peace and stability." According to hospital sources in Gaza, nine Palestinians were killed this evening in Israeli attacks in various parts of Gaza, violating the ceasefire.

0:11 | October 29

Media, Israel informed US before attacking Gaza

Israel has informed the administration of US President Donald Trump of its decision to carry out strikes on Gaza City in response to Hamas's ceasefire violations, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the operation. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated:"The prime minister made the decision to carry out the attack, gave the order to the army to carry it out, and subsequently informed the United States."

A US official and an Israeli official confirmed that the Jewish state updated Washington after the decision, but before the attacks took place."We were informed," a Trump administration official stated, noting that the US-led Civic-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, responsible for overseeing the ceasefire and monitoring the progress of Washington's peace plan for Gaza, facilitated communication between the two sides. An Israeli official confirmed that discussions took place with the Americans regarding Israel's planned response before the attacks were carried out. According to the officials, the discussions took place at both the political and military levels.

0:10 | October 29

Hamas: We have never violated the ceasefire, Israel has.

Hamas informed Middle East mediators in the past few hours that it remains committed to the ceasefire with Israel in Gaza, confirming its previous public statements. A source familiar with the matter told the Israeli press. In its message to Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators, the Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist movement insisted it is committed to returning the bodies of the remaining hostages as quickly as possible. Israel, however, disputes this assertion, citing footage showing members of the group staging the recovery of the remains of a hostage that Israeli authorities claim was already in Hamas' possession.

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In the message sent to Middle East mediators, also shared with the United States, Hamas asserted that it had not committed any ceasefire violations since it went into effect on October 10, accusing Israel of repeated violations. These include the killing of approximately 100 Gazans, crossing the"Yellow Line" separating the IDF-controlled part of the Strip from the Hamas-controlled part to the west, and maintaining the closure of the Rafah crossing, according to the source. For its part, the Jewish state maintains that its troops were only responding to imminent threats from Palestinian militants and reiterates that Hamas is the only one violating the ceasefire by not returning the bodies of the remaining hostages.

0:07 | October 28

Netanyahu orders powerful strikes on Gaza

Eighteen days: that's how long the fragile truce between Hamas and Israel sanctioned by the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement On the Trump plan. Today, the Israeli air force repeatedly bombed the Strip, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's order to launch massive and immediate strikes. US President J.D. Vance, however, sounded optimistic:"Skirmishes," he called them,"but peace will endure."

The escalation was triggered by an ambush against a military engineering team in Rafah. Hamas militants fired anti-tank missiles and attempted to target soldiers with snipers. The IDF responded with artillery. The story of the fake return of a body dominated the news all day. Hamas had handed over a few remains of Ofir Tzarfati, 27, who died in the line of duty as a soldier shortly after the start of the war in Gaza: his body had already been recovered by the IDF in December 2023. For Israel, this is proof that Hamas continues to break its agreements and drag out the return of the 13 bodies of those kidnapped on October 7, 2023, still in its possession. The armed forces themselves released a video of what they called a Hamas hoax regarding the discovery of Tzarfati's body. The footage shows several men carrying a white sack out of a half-destroyed building, placing it in a large ditch, and covering it with earth. Hamas then reportedly called the International Red Cross, and when the workers arrived, they staged the discovery of the body. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then called an emergency meeting with the military that morning to decide what to do.

The video with the fake discovery was sent to the White House and the CIA, requesting approval. Netanyahu also attempted to contact President Donald Trump, who was traveling in the Far East, then came the Rafah provocation. Netanyahu broke the deadlock and informed the White House that he would attack. Within hours, Gaza City, Rafah, and the Deir al-Balah and Shati refugee camps were repeatedly bombed. At least two people were killed in the capital and four were injured, including a newborn, according to the Civil Defense Department.

Israel has also decided to move the yellow line beyond which it had withdrawn, according to the Sharm el-Sheikh agreements, and to regain control of a larger portion of the Strip's territory.