Iranian embassy says the ‘time is up’ for Israel as Joe Biden lands in Tel Aviv
The Gaza hospital explosion has sparked global anger, with an Iranian embassy stating “the time is up” for Israel, while Hezbollah calls for a “day of rage”.
Human rights groups and world leaders have condemned an air strike on a hospital in the Gaza Strip, which has killed at least 500 civilians and injured scores more.
Both Hamas and the Israeli Defence Force blame the other for the deadly carnage.
US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday, local time, in a trip that has been thrown into chaos with Palestine pulling out of a summit in Jordan.
Meanwhile, fears remain for hostages held in Gaza as the conflict escalates, with one of the terrorist group’s senior commanders confirmed to have been killed overnight.
Biden landed in Israel at around 6:45pm (AEDT).
Read on for the latest news from the conflict.
‘Time is up’: Terror fear as Biden lands.
US President Joe Biden has landed in Israel to prevent the war with Hamas from escalating into a broader Middle East conflict.
Biden was welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
A blame game erupted between Hamas and Israel, with Hamas claiming it was an Israeli airstrike while the IDF accused Islamic Jihad militants for a misfired rocket.
The hospital explosion has sparked global anger, with the Iranian embassy in Syria on Wednesday stating “the time is up” for Israel, while Tehran-backed terror group Hezbollah called for a “day of rage”.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Israeli officials “should be tried for their crimes” committed against Palestinians in Gaza.
🚨BREAKING - Iran Embassy in Syria Just Posted: 'TIME IS UP' pic.twitter.com/2W2Y5EE6SG
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 18, 2023
Palestine President: ‘We will not kneel’
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has cut short his trip to Jordan in the wake of last night’s hospital bombing that claimed the lives of at least 500 people in Gaza.
The leader under siege has vowed Palestine “will not surrender, and will prevail”, refusing to let the current situation devolve into another generational catastrophe for the sovereignty of the embattled nation.
He described the situation on the ground as a “hideous war massacre”.
“In light of this calamity that occurred tonight, and out of concern for our people, I decided to cut short my visit and return to the homeland to be among my people in this great ordeal, and I agreed with the brothers in Jordan and Egypt to cancel the summit that was scheduled today in Amman with President Biden,” Abbas said.
“We will not allow a new Nakba in the 21st century, and we will not accept the displacement of our people again. Our people will remain steadfast in their homeland and will not leave, no matter the sacrifices.
“We will do everything necessary to stop the bloodbath in Gaza and in the West Bank. We will not accept anything other than stopping this war, and the Security Council must shoulder its responsibilities and take the initiative to issue a resolution to condemn this crime and stop the aggression immediately.
“Our people will not kneel, will not surrender, and will prevail.”
Biden to pose ‘tough questions’ to Israel
We are awaiting the moment US President Joe Biden arrives in Israel, where he will pose “tough questions” to government officials as the situation continues to deteriorate.
Biden has now had his trip to Jordan cancelled as the war in Gaza continues.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Al Jazeera the Amman summit was canceled as “there is no use in talking now about anything except stopping the war”.
‘Indescribable’: UN calls for ‘immediate humanitarian ceasefire’
Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres has called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza following last night’s devastating hospital bombing.
Guterres was speaking at a Beijing forum attended by both Chinese President Xi and Rusisan President Putin and stressed that the “entire region” hangs in the balance.
His comments followed a threat from Iran to intervene and attack Israel before the IDF could continue its plan to wipe Hamas from Gaza.
“I call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire... to ease the epic human suffering we are witnessing,” he said, ”Too many lives, and the fate of the entire region hang in the balance.”
The Palestinian health ministry said the scene on the ground is “unparalleled and indescribable”.
“Doctors are performing surgeries on the ground and in the corridors, and some of them were without anesthesia,” ministry spokesman Dr Ashraf Al-Qudra said in a statement following the alleged attack.
“A lot of people are still waiting for operations, and the medical teams are trying to save their lives in intensive care.”
Vision ‘proves’ rockets originated in Gaza
Several video clips have been released appearing to show a barrage of rockets originated in Gaza headed for targets in Israel, moments before a deadly blast at a hospital that has killed 500 people.
Scores of civilians had been seeking shelter and medical care at al-Ahli Arab Hospital, which was struck overnight in an air raid that witnesses claim was carried out by Israeli forces.
Images are emerging of the horrifying scenes at the hospital, with hundreds of victims still trapped beneath rubble.
Vision, which has not been independently verified, is circulating online that Israelis say “proves” the blast was caused by a failed rocket strike launched from within Palestine.
In one, CCTV footage is said to show the moment a rocket fired from within the Gaza Strip fell short and exploded in Palestine.
That vision appears to match similar footage shot and broadcast by the television outlet Al Jazeera, which also shows a rocket misfire landing in Gaza.
And another clip shared online by Palestinian media outlets also reportedly depicts the moment of the blast at the hospital.
تغطية اخبارية| Ù„Øظة قص٠الاØتلال لمستشÙÙ‰ المعمداني ÙÙŠ غزة، ما أدى لاستشهاد المئات. pic.twitter.com/4IRmWIAvpd
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) October 17, 2023
Jordan Schachtel, an Israeli journalist for the outlet Dossier Today, took to X to share a screenshot of Telegram messages he claims indicate Hamas militants are to blame.
Hamas has rejected the claims and insisted the blast was an air strike launched by Israel, calling it “a war crime”.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the “cold-blooded massacre”.
It will “forever remain a stain on the conscience of humanity that has been witnessing the horrors committed against the Palestinian people without taking action to stop it”, a statement read.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement he is “outraged and deeply saddened” by the bloodshed and indicated America will conduct its own analysis of who is responsible.
Mr Biden said he had “directed my national security team to continue gathering information about what exactly happened”.
Horrifying scenes at site of hospital blast
Palestinian authorities say 500 people are feared dead after the blast at al-Ahli Arab Hospital, which humanitarian groups have described as “the worst attack on a medical facility in the 21st Century”.
Zaher Sahloul from the US-based MedGlobal humanitarian organisation called it “the worst attack on a medical facility in the 21st Century”.
“Bombing hospitals is against international law. It is a war crime,” he said.
“It compounds trauma in the Gaza Strip, sending the message that nowhere is safe, not even inside a hospital.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) demanded the immediate protection of civilians and health care in the Gaza Strip. “
WHO strongly condemns the attack on Al Ahli Arab Hospital,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.
Tamara al-Rifai, from the UN Relief and Works Agency, claimed there was “direct Israeli fire” on the hospital.
“An attack on densely populated refugee camps where people are sheltering in UN schools and premises is something that is utterly shocking. It is a very sad violation of international humanitarian law. I am lost for words right now,” she told Al Jazeera.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has expressed its “shocked and horrified” by the blast.
“Hospitals should be sanctuaries to preserve human life, not scenes of death and destruction,” it said in a statement.
“No patient should be killed in a hospital bed. No doctors should lose their lives while trying to save others. Hospitals must be protected under international humanitarian law.”
Israel slams accusations it bombed hospital
Israel’s Foreign Ministry also claimed it has vision that proves Hamas rockets were responsible for the blast at the hospital.
“From the analysis of the operational systems of the IDF, an enemy rocket barrage was carried out towards Israel, which passed through the vicinity of the hospital when it was hit,” a post from Israel’s official account on X, formerly Twitter, reads.
“According to intelligence information, from several sources we have, the Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation is responsible for the failed shooting that hit the hospital.”
It said that “the IDF did not conduct any operations in the area at the time of impact”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a furious statement shortly after the blast.
“So the whole world knows: The barbaric terrorists in Gaza are the ones who attacked the Gaza hospital, not the IDF,” Mr Netanyahu said.
“Those who cruelly murdered our children, murder their children as well.”
And Israeli President Isaac Herzog has slammed allegations it launched an air strike on a hospital in Gaza that killed hundreds.
“An Islamic Jihad missile has killed many Palestinians at a Gazan hospital — a place where lives should be saved,” Mr Herzog said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“Shame on the media who swallow the lies of Hamas and Islamic Jihad — broadcasting a 21st-Century blood libel around the globe. Shame on the vile terrorists in Gaza who wilfully spill the blood of the innocent.
“Never before has the choice been clearer. Israel is standing against an enemy made of pure evil. If you stand for humanity – for the value of all human life – you stand with Israel.”
Fiery protests break out
Thousands of angry protesters have stormed part of the US Embassy in Lebanon, tearing down an American flag and replacing it with a Palestinian one.
The streets of Beirut have been filled with demonstrators, who began gathering late on Tuesday night local time following the deadly blast at a Gaza hospital.
Another crowd gathered outside the French Embassy nearby. Police shot off smoke bombs in an attempt to disperse demonstrators.
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, called for mass protests in response to the hospital blast.
At the same time, hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets across West Bank cities, including Ramallah.
Footage shows demonstrators clashing with authorities, with security forces firing tear gas on the crowd.
The AFP news agency says people in the crowd were demanding Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas resign over his handling of the conflict with Israel.
Similar protests against the hospital attack are being staged in Tunisia, Jordan, Türkiye, Syria, Morocco, Yemen and Lebanon.
Biden’s trip falls apart
US President Joe Biden has taken off from Andrews Air Force Base in Air Force One, headed to Israel for high-level talks.
Mr Biden was due to then travel on to Jordan for a summit with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, but he has pulled out.
Mr Biden and Mr Abbas were due to meet in Oman, alongside Jordanian represents and a delegation from Egypt. But the president may skip the Jordan part of his visit entirely after the kingdom also pulled out of plans to meet with Mr Biden, and Egypt refused to attend.
News of the cancelled meeting came on the back of Hamas blaming America for the bloodshed at the hospital.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a televised address that the US was to blame because it has given Israel “cover for its aggression”.
Speaking after the horrific attack, which has killed 500 people, Haniyeh called on Palestinians to “get out and confront the occupation and the settlers”.
“The hospital massacre confirms the enemy‘s brutality and the extent of his feeling of defeat,” he said.
He added that the attack will be “a new turning point”. Haniyeh called for Arabs and Muslims across the world to stage protests against Israel.
World reacts to hospital horror
The White House has issued a statement, which reads: “The President sent his deepest condolences for the innocent lives lost in the hospital explosion in Gaza, and wished a speeding recovery to the wounded.”
Russia and the United Arab Emirates have demanded an urgent session of the United Nations Security Council in response to the blast at a hospital in Gaza.
The request came shortly after Jordan’s King Abdullah described the situation as a “massacre” and blamed Israel for the attack.
King Abdullah called for Israel to immediately end its war against Hamas, which has caused the suffering of Palestinians that is a “shame on humanity”.
In the United Kingdom, Labour leader Keir Starmer said scenes at the hospital are “absolutely devastating and cannot be justified”.
Mr Starmer took to X, formerly Twitter, to say: “International law must be upheld.”
In Scotland, First Minister Humza Yousaf said the blast must be “unequivocally condemned in the strongest possible manner”.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the attack is “horrific and completely unacceptable”.
Mr Yousaf, who has family in Gaza, added: “There can be no justification for this. None whatsoever.”
Saudi Arabia has also condemned the “heinous crime”.
Aussies remain stuck in Gaza
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neill has confirmed there are 46 Australian citizens in Gaza.
“I can’t give you the demographic information of who it is, all I know is that there are 46 Aussies with Australian passports in their hands,” Ms O’Neill told Channel 7’s Sunrise.
The government has helped some 1500 people to flee the region, she added.
“We’ve got to now focus our attention on those 46 people, and we’re doing everything we can. We hope that we’ll be able to report back something positive.”
Aid still unable to enter Gaza
A long queue of trucks packed with vital remains blocked at the Egypt border with Gaza, with a crossing between the cities of El-Arish and Rafah still closed.
But there’s growing hope that humanitarian aid could begin flowing into the war-ravaged region today.
“Until now, there is no safe passage that has been granted,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said.
In an interview with CNN, Mr Shoukry also confirmed the border crossing at Rafah had been bombed four times in recent days.
“The crossing has sustained damage, the roads, access roads between the Egyptian and Gaza side have severe damage and need repair,” he said.
US to continue “steady flow of weapons”
US to continue “steady flow of weapons”
The Pentagon will continue to provide a “steady flow of weapons” to Israel, which have so far occurred “near daily”.
Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed five C-17 aircraft missions have successfully carried out a range of security assistance missions since last Tuesday.
“You’re seeing near daily deliveries into Israel and I would expect that those are going to continue to flow,” Ms Singh said.
In addition to providing arsenal, the US is boosting its presence in the Middle East as both a sign of support and strength.
It’s hoped the arrival of warships and the prepared deployment of 2000 marines will deter the involvement of Iran and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in the conflict.
Last text from hostage revealed
The mother of French-Israeli woman Mia Shem, held hostage by Hamas militants in Gaza, has revealed a panicked text message the 21-year-old sent to a friend as militants attacked the festival she was attending.
“They’re shooting at us,” Mia wrote in the text. “Please, come save us!”
Her mother, Keren Schem, addressed a press conference in Israel on Tuesday, local time, a day after Hamas released footage of Mia in captivity – alive, but injured.
“I ask world leaders that my daughter be returned to us in the state that she is today, as well as the other hostages,” Ms Shem said at a press conference in Tel Aviv.
She was speaking a day after Hamas broadcast a video showing her daughter receiving treatment for a wounded arm.
“I beg the world to return my baby to me,” Ms Shem said, after French President Emmanuel Macron demanded her immediate and unconditional release.
Ms Shem said her daughter was at a rave party in the desert near the border when she was abducted to Gaza during the deadly attack Hamas militants launched on Israel on October 7.
“Now she is in Gaza. She is not the only one. There are many adults, children, babies and Holocaust survivors,” she said of other Israelis and foreigners held by militants.
“It is a crime against humanity. All together we need to stop this terror.”
Ms Shem said she had not known whether her daughter “was alive or dead” until Hamas released the video footage of her.
“There was a rumour saying that she was wounded in the shoulder or the leg. She was wounded in the hand. She was operated on,” Ms Shem said.
“She looks terrified. She says what they tell her to say. I’m really worried about her.”
Top Hamas commander killed
Ayman Nofal, a member of Hamas’s military council, has been killed in an Israeli air strike.
“Air Force fighter jets, under joint intelligence guidance with the Shin Bet, killed one of the senior members of the Hamas terrorist organisation, Ayman Nofal, who served as the commander of the Hamas central camps brigade in the Gaza Strip, and as the former head of Hamas’s military intelligence,” the Israeli military said on Tuesday, local time.
“By virtue of his duties, he directed many terrorist attacks against Israel and the security forces, and he directed the targets of Hamas’ rocket fire, specifically targeting areas populated by uninvolved civilians.
“In the past, he was involved in the production and development of weapons, promoted and was a partner in many terrorist attacks, and was even a partner in planning the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit.”
Hamas has confirmed Nofal’s death, according to Reuters.
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