U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Thursday that he will visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt following planned trips to Jordan and Qatar. Blinken is set to travel on Friday to Doha where he will talks with senior Qatari officials. Qatar has ties with Hamas and has in the past served as facilitator in discussions to calm tensions in and around Gaza, as reported by The Associated Press:
Blinken to travel to Jordan, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia & UAE
Newslooks- TEL AVIV, Israel
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Thursday that he will visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt following planned trips to Jordan and Qatar. Blinken is set to travel on Friday to Doha where he will talks with senior Qatari officials.
Qatar has ties with Hamas and has in the past served as facilitator in discussions to calm tensions in and around Gaza.
US TO START EVACUATING AMERICANS FROM ISRAEL, POSSIBLY AS SOON AS FRIDAY
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government will begin operating evacuation flights to help Americans leave Israel as Israel prepares to escalate retaliatory action against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, according to the Biden administration.
White House National Security spokesman, John Kirby confirmed Thursday that the U.S. would arrange charter flights from Israel to sites in Europe. “We’re still working through some of the details of that to assist U.S. citizens and their immediate family members,” he said.
The evacuation flights are expected to begin operating as early as Friday. The U.S. government is arranging for at least four charter flights a day out of Israel through Frankfurt, Germany.
DEATH TOLL OF U.S. CITIZENS IN HAMAS ATTACK RISES TO 27
WASHINGTON — The death toll of U.S. citizens in the Hamas attack on Israel has risen to 27, and the number of missing is now at 14, White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said Thursday.
Kirby said that the U.S. was continuing to work with Israeli officials to try to locate those who remain unaccounted for. Kirby said he believes only a few of those missing have been taken hostage.
UN SAYS HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN GAZA IS GETTING MORE DESPERATE
UNITED NATIONS — The number of people fleeing attacks on Gaza is continuing “in very, very large numbers,” with a 30% increase in the past 24 hours, the United Nations humanitarian office says.
Two-thirds of the people displaced by the violence — 218,000 — have taken refuge in 92 schools run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Thursday.
Dujarric said the humanitarian situation, with the Israeli cutoff of fuel, food and electricity, is getting more dire “by the day, if not by the hour.”
“More than 2,500 units have been destroyed, severely damaged and rendered uninhabitable while nearly 23,000 others have sustained moderate to minor damage,” he said. “At least 88 educational facilities have been struck.”
Dujarric said discussions about opening a humanitarian corridor from Gaza are ongoing, and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and U.N. Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland are engaging “with all relevant actors.”
BRITAIN TO DEPLOY 2 ROYAL NAVY SHIPS TO THE MEDITERRANEAN
LONDON — Britain’s government says it is deploying two Royal Navy ships to the eastern Mediterranean within days to show support for Israel, offer “deterrence and assurance” and support humanitarian efforts.
The government said Thursday that U.K. Royal Air Force surveillance planes will also begin patrols on Friday to help “track threats to regional security, such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups.”
The military deployment, which includes three helicopters and a company of Royal Marines, will be on standby to support Israel and regional allies.
“We must be unequivocal in making sure the types of horrific scenes we have seen this week will not be repeated,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement.
Sunak is expected to discuss the situation in Israel with northern European leaders at a summit in Sweden on Friday.
BRITAIN’S SUNAK ANNOUNCES $3.7M FOR SECURITY AT SCHOOLS AND SYNAGOGUES
LONDON — Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced millions of pounds in extra funding to boost security at schools and synagogues and protect them against antisemitic attacks in the wake of Hamas’ attacks in Israel.
Sunak’s office said Thursday that 3 million pounds ($3.7 million) of additional funding will be provided to the Community Security Trust, an organization established to protect British Jews from antisemitic threats. The funding will enable the group to provide more guards in the schools it supports, as well as outside synagogues during prayer times.
The Community Security Trust said it recorded 139 antisemitic incidents in the U.K. over the past four days — a fourfold increase compared to the same period last year.
The funding announcement came after Sunak met with senior officials and police chiefs to discuss security and policing protests and rallies by pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups planned across the U.K. this weekend.
ISRAEL’S PARLIAMENT APPROVES EMERGENCY UNITY GOVERNMENT
JERUSALEM — Israel’s parliament approved an emergency unity government Thursday night, swearing in Benny Gantz and four other ministers to serve in a security cabinet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
ISRAEL’S MILITARY SAYS THE NUMBER OF SOLDIERS KILLED HAS RISEN TO 247
JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said Thursday that 247 soldiers have been killed since the start of the war last weekend — an increase from 222 earlier in the day.
The military previously confirmed to The Associated Press that the 222 soldiers had all been identified and their families notified.
THOUSANDS DEFY POLICE BAN IN PARIS AND RALLY IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIANS
PARIS — Several hundred people defied a police ban Thursday and demonstrated in Paris to denounce Israel’s military actions and show support for Palestinians. Helmeted riot police sprayed tear gas and water cannons to chase the crowd away.
Protesters, largely young people from various backgrounds supporting the Palestinian cause, sprayed ‘’Free Palestine’’ on the monument underpinning the Republic Plaza in eastern Paris.
Many wore Palestinian flags around their shoulders, and chanted “We are all Palestinians.’’
Earlier this week thousands of people marched in Paris in support of Israel and the Eiffel Tower was lit up with a Star of David and the blue and white of the Israeli flag.
IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER: REGION WILL FACE REPURCUSSIONS IF ISRAEL DOESN’T END ATTACKS ON GAZA
BAGHDAD — During a visit to Iraq Thursday, Iran’s foreign minister said that if Israel fails to stop its attacks on civilians in Gaza, the region will face “new conditions.”
“They cannot put Gaza under complete siege and bomb the citizens and commit war crimes, and expect no response,” Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amirabdollahian said in a statement released by the foreign ministry.
Amirabdollahian met with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani Thursday and was expected to travel to Lebanon, where he will meet with officials on Friday.
Questions have swirled around Iran’s role in the attack launched by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel Saturday. Hamas officials have denied Iran’s direct involvement, and to date no government worldwide has offered direct evidence that Iran orchestrated the attack. However, many have pointed to Iran’s long sponsorship of Hamas.
IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER URGES END OF VIOLENCE IN GAZA, SAYS THE WAR WILL AFFECT ENTIRE REGION
BAGHDAD — Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian expressed his country’s support for the rights of the Palestinian people, saying that the ongoing war in Gaza will affect the whole region.
Amirabdollahian said there is a need for an end to the “killing of children and civilians in Palestine.”
The Iranian official made his comments Thursday during a meeting with Iraq’s National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji in Baghdad.
Amirabdollahian’s comments were carried in a statement released by al-Araji’s office.
Al-Araji said demonstrations will be held in different parts of Iraq on Friday in support of the Palestinians.
Iran is a main supporter of Palestinian factions based in Gaza, including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group.
ERDOGAN RENEWS CALL FOR REDUCING TENSIONS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINIANS
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the United States to work toward reducing tensions between Israel and Palestinians, renewing his criticism of a U.S. decision to send an aircraft carrier to the region.
“What is more appropriate for a country like America? To establish peace or to go there with gasoline and fuel (the fire)?” Erdogan said during an address to hundreds of youth on Thursday.
“We don’t want the conflict and attacks to escalate further and God forbid, spread to our region. We call on all actors who have a voice and influence in the region to make efforts toward reducing tensions,” he continued.
Erdogan renewed his criticism of Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes and said Israel should act “like a state” and observe the human rights of Palestinians in Gaza.
LEBANESE PREMIER URGES GROUPS TO AVOID INCITING CONFLICT IN ISRAEL
BERIUT — Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister is calling on all Lebanese groups to exercise self-restraint and to not be pulled into “Israel’s plans.”
Najib Mikati’s comments Thursday after a Cabinet meeting in Beirut were apparently meant to encourage the militant group Hezbollah to avoid inciting any conflict with Israel.
“Lebanon is in the eye of the storm and what is happening along our southern border leaves us deeply worried,” Mikati said.
He said the incidents along Lebanon’s border with Israel over the past few days are the result of Israel’s “provocations and continuous violations” of a United Nations Security Council resolution that ended a monthlong was between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
Mikati said Lebanon condemns “criminal acts committed by Israel.”
