The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance, or OCHA, confirmed to The Associated Press that this week was the deadliest in the West Bank since the U.N. started recording in 2005. In the week since Hamas launched its attack on Israel last Saturday, 54 Palestinians have died in the West Bank with 16 killed on Friday. The U.N. says attacks by Israeli settlers have surged there since the Hamas assault.
The Associated Press has the story:
UN: Past week was the deadliest in West Bank since 2005
Newslooks- JERUSALEM (AP)
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance, or OCHA, confirmed to The Associated Press that this week was the deadliest in the West Bank since the U.N. started recording in 2005.
In the week since Hamas launched its attack on Israel last Saturday, 54 Palestinians have died in the West Bank with 16 killed on Friday. The U.N. says attacks by Israeli settlers have surged there since the Hamas assault.
BLINKEN HAS SOUGHT CHINA’S HELP TO PREVENT SPREAD OF ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR, STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to seek China’s help in preventing the Israel-Hamas war from spreading.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken called Wang on Saturday from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to ask China to use whatever influence it has in the Middle East to keep other countries and groups from entering the conflict.
Miller would not say which countries and groups the U.S. believes Beijing has influence with but China is known to have close trade and political ties with Iran, which in turn supports Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
Miller declined to characterize Wang’s response, but said the U.S. believes it and China have a shared interest in Middle East stability.
SCHOLZ AND NETANYAHU DISCUSS NEED TO AVOID REGIONAL INVOLVEMENT IN ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has talked again with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the current situation in Israel following last week’s attack by Hamas.
During their phone conversation on Saturday, both leaders “agreed on the need to avoid a regional conflagration and, in particular, the intervention of Hezbollah in the conflict,” the German government said in a statement, adding that Scholz briefed Netanyahu about his latest diplomatic efforts in this regard.
The German statement said that Netanyahu told Scholz about Israeli efforts to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip which the Israeli leader said were being hindered by Hamas.
Scholz reiterated “Germany’s full solidarity with the people of Israel in these difficult hours and underscored that Germany stands unwaveringly by Israel’s side.”
THAI DEATH TOLL IN HAMAS ATTACKS RISES TO 24
BANGKOK — Officials in Thailand say the death toll of Thai nationals killed in Hamas’ attack in southern Israel has increased to 24, after the Israeli authorities reported three additional fatalities.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kanchana Patarachoke said at a press briefing Saturday that the number of known injured Thais has climbed to 16 with the number of those believed held hostage remaining at 16.
The number of victims from Thailand is relatively high because there are about 30,000 Thai workers in Israel, mostly employed as agricultural laborers. Some 5,000 have been working in the area affected by the violence.
The Thai Foreign Ministry says 7,058 nationals have registered for voluntary repatriation back home while 83 have indicated their intention to remain in Israel.
RUSSIAN DEATH TOLL IN ISRAEL RISES TO 16
LONDON — Russia’s embassy in Israel said Saturday that the number of Russian citizens killed since Hamas launched its attacks against Israel a week ago had risen to 16. Eight Russian citizens are missing, according to embassy press secretary Marina Ryazanova.
“According to the Israeli side, as of 13:00 on October 14, the number of dead citizens of the Russian Federation who also had Israeli citizenship increased to 16 people, Ryazanova said. “The updated lists of missing persons provided by the Israeli side include eight Russian citizens.”
At least one Russian citizen is being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
FRENCH OFFICIALS IN CONTACT WITH CITIZENS IN GAZA, WORKING TO ENSURE THEIR EVACUATION
PARIS — France is in contact with dozens of French citizens currently in Gaza, and employees of the French Institute of Gaza, in hopes of ensuring their evacuation, a French diplomatic official said Sunday. The French citizens include people who live there as well as those visiting for humanitarian or family reasons.
The official said diplomatic efforts are underway, via the French consulate in Jerusalem and close contacts with Israeli and Egyptian officials. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions, also said it is important for civilian preservations to be spared, in line with international humanitarian law.
France has been working to help locate or liberate French-Israeli citizens believed held hostage by Hamas.
IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER CALLS ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR IS ‘SYMBOL OF POWER OF ISLAM’
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday the recent attack on Israel will lead to victory for the Palestinians, the official IRNA news agency reported.
“Part of the currents is indication of incredible power of Islam in Palestine and God willing, the move that began in Palestine will move forward and will be lead to full victory of Palestinians,” he said.
Speaking in a meeting with visiting leader of Nigeria’s Shia community Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, Khamenei called the ongoing war in Gaza “one of symbols of power of Islam.”
Khamenei urged world of Islam to help the Palestinians.
Earlier on Tuesday Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, rejected allegations about his country’s role in Hamas’ attacks against Israel and vowed to continue supporting the Palestinian territories.
HEZBOLLAH TV REPORTS EXCHANGE OF FIRE WITH ISRAELI TROOPS
BEIRUT — Hezbollah’s TV station has reported an intense exchange of fire along Lebanon’s border with Israeli positions in a disputed area along the border with Syria’s Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Al-Manar TV reported that Hezbollah fighters pounded Israeli positions in the Chebaa Farms and Kfar Chouba hills area on Saturday.
It was the latest exchange of shelling between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters since last Saturday following Hamas’ attack on southern Israel.
Israel’s military said that it was striking Lebanon after coming under fire from Hezbollah.
Chebaa Farms was captured by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war, but Lebanon considers it and the nearby Kfar Chouba hills as Lebanese territories.
The Golan Heights were annexed by Israel in 1981.
