*) Rafah crossing to Egypt opens for the first time since war began

Scores of foreign passport holders trapped in Gaza started leaving the war-torn territory as the Rafah crossing to Egypt opened for the first time since the Israeli war on Gaza began on October 7, AFP correspondents reported.

Convoys of desperately needed aid have passed between Egypt and Gaza but no people have been allowed to cross.

Some 400 foreigners and dual nationals along with some 90 sick and wounded were expected to leave.

*) One year on: Despite peace holding on, many Tigrayans struggle to find their feet

One year after Ethiopia signed a peace deal with the Tigray People's Liberation Front, ending a brutal conflict that killed hundreds of thousands by some estimates, life in the northern region is slowly limping back to normal.

But many Tigrayans say that they were struggling to find their feet after the November 2022 peace agreement, some losing their homes and livelihoods to the war, others grieving family members killed in the conflict.

A million people remain displaced across the region, according to the International Organization for Migration, with around 234,000 in Tigray's capital Mekele.

*) Bolivia severs ties with Israel as Colombia, Chile recall envoys over Gaza

Bolivia has said it had broken diplomatic ties with Israel because of its attacks on Gaza, while neighbours Colombia and Chile recalled their ambassadors to the Middle Eastern country for consultations.

The three countries called for a ceasefire, with Bolivia and Chile pushing for the passage of humanitarian aid into the zone and accusing Israel of violating international law.

In response, Israel slammed Bolivia's decision to cut diplomatic ties over its war in Gaza after a deadly Hamas attack as a capitulation to "terror".

Other Latin American countries, such as Mexico and Brazil, have also called for a ceasefire.

*) Live blog: Ukraine reports most extensive Russian shelling this year

Ukraine has said that Russia had shelled more than 100 settlements over the last 24 hours - more than in any single day so far this year.

Moscow has fired millions of shells on cities, towns and villages along the frontlines since it launched its offensive last February, reducing several across the eastern part of the country to rubble.

"Over the last 24 hours, the enemy shelled 118 settlements in 10 regions. This is the highest number of cities and villages that have come under attack since the start of the year," Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said in a post on social media.

And finally…

*) Saudi ready for summer or winter World Cup in 2034: FA chief

Saudi Arabia is prepared to host the 2034 World Cup in summer or winter, its football chief said, after the oil giant became the sole bidder for the tournament.

"Of course, we are ready for all possibilities," Saudi Arabian Football Federation president Yasser al Misehal said late on Tuesday at the Asian Football Confederation awards in Doha.

Saudi Arabia's successful bid, just 27 days after announcing it, comes less than a year after neighbouring Qatar held the first winter World Cup, a decision that forced a pause to league competitions in Europe.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Tuesday, October 31st.

*) Israel’s ‘concept paper’ suggests expulsion of Palestinians in Gaza to Egypt’s Sinai

An Israeli government ministry has drafted a wartime proposal to transfer 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza to Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, drawing condemnation from Palestine and worsening tensions with Cairo.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office played down the report compiled by the Intelligence Ministry as a hypothetical exercise — a “concept paper.”

But its conclusions deepened long-standing Egyptian concerns that Israel wants to make Gaza into Egypt's problem, and revive for Palestinians memories of their greatest trauma — the Nakba in 1948.

*) Israeli army detonates house of Hamas deputy leader in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces detonated the house of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al Arouri in the occupied West Bank, according to witnesses.

Israeli forces raided the town of Arura northwest of Ramallah and searched al Arouri’s house, a witness told Anadolu Agency.

Israel blames Al Arouri for attacks against Israeli targets in the occupied West Bank.

*) Aid distribution centres halt work as civil order breaks down in Gaza: UN

A breakdown in civil order has put four UN aid distribution centres and a storage facility out of action in Gaza as people search desperately for food and water.

A UN Palestinian refugee agency official said a logistics base at the Rafah border crossing vital to aid distribution had become increasingly difficult to operate because 8,000 people were sheltering at it.

“With the breakdown of civil order, every day now we’ve got hundreds of people trying to get into the warehouses to steal flour,” the official said.

*) UN warns of Syria danger, ‘spillover’ from Israel’s war on Gaza

The UN has warned that Syria was at its “most dangerous” point in a long time as violence surges and the “spillover” from Israel's war on Gaza starts to have an impact.

Syria has “seen growing instability and violence, exacerbated by the lack of a meaningful political process,” Geir Pedersen, UN special envoy for Syria, told the Security Council.

Pedersen sounded “alarm that the situation is now at its most dangerous for a long time.”

And finally…

*) Türkiye condemns in strongest terms Israel’s attack on Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital

Türkiye has condemned in strongest terms Israel’s attack on the Gaza Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only cancer hospital in the besieged enclave.

“There can be no justification for such an attack carried out despite all necessary information, including the coordinates of the institution was previously shared with the Israeli authorities,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that “the siege in Gaza, aimed at depriving the Palestinian people of their most basic rights, and these inhumane attacks, clearly violate international law.”

And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com

*) Israeli tanks enter Gaza from east and north

Israeli tanks have attempted to enter Gaza in an effort to cut a vital road from the north to the south in the war-torn Palestinian territory, as part of their ground invasion.

Witnesses reported sightings of tanks in the Zaytun district, where Israelis aimed to sever the Salah al Din (Salah Addin) road and are firing at any vehicle attempting to use it.

Israel's chief military spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, stated during a regular press briefing that they are advancing gradually into Gaza and plan to escalate the offensive, based on the phases and goals of the war.

But the Israeli forces encountered Palestinian fighting groups on the key road and subsequently withdrew from the area, according to a Hamas spokesman.

*) Israel: Over 600 Gaza targets hit in 24 hours

Israel's military has said it had struck more than 600 targets in Gaza in one day, making it one of the heaviest bombardments yet in its attacks on the Palestinian enclave.

"We have hit more than 600 targets in the past 24 hours," a military spokesperson told AFP, a rise of 450 targets reported on Sunday.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, the death toll in the enclave since October 7 has reached 8,306, including 3,457 children and 2,136 women. 21,048 people also have been wounded by Israeli bombardments.

*) ICC prosecutor says hindering Gaza aid could be a crime

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor has warned that blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza could constitute a crime.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan told reporters in Cairo that “impeding relief supplies as provided by the Geneva Conventions may constitute a crime within the court jurisdiction.”

He was speaking after a visit to Egypt’s Rafah crossing, where he said trucks full of desperately needed goods remained stuck and unable to cross into Gaza.

*) 47 mosques, 3 churches damaged in Gaza since October 7

Continuous Israeli attacks on Gaza have led to the destruction of 47 mosques and damage to three churches, the local government media office said.

The director of the office, Salama Maarouf, told a press conference that “Israeli raids on Gaza have caused the destruction of 47 mosques and damaged three churches and 203 schools in addition to 80 government buildings.”

He said the number of medical personnel killed by Israel had reached 116 along with 18 members of rescue teams and civil defense crews and 35 journalists.

*) Turkish Republic embarks on the Century of Türkiye: President Erdogan

As celebrations marked the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye is experiencing “a unique pride and excitement.”

President Erdogan delivered his Centenary address on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye in Istanbul on Sunday.

It followed the special parade by Turkish Stars, SOLOTURK and TCG Anadolu-led 100 warships’ crossing the Istanbul Strait.

*) Some 3,000 children in Gaza killed by Israel: Palestine's UN envoy

Some 3,000 children have been killed by Israel since the attacks it launched on October 7, Palestine's UN envoy has said.

"I repeat, 3,000 children, innocent children, angels killed in Gaza during the last three weeks," Riyad Mansour said in an emotional address to an emergency UN General Assembly session on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

"There is no time to mourn, more death is on the way," Mansour warned.

Mansour said 7,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza, saying that fully 70 percent of all those killed are women and children.

"Is this the war some of you are defending? These are crimes. This is barbarism. If you don’t stop it for all those who were killed, stop it for all those whose lives we can still save," he implored.

Some 1,600 Palestinians still lie under the rubble, killed or injured and no one can reach them, to save them or bury them, he said.

*) Almost 50 hostages killed so far from Israeli bombings on Gaza — Hamas

Hamas's armed wing has said that "almost 50" Israeli hostages held by the group in Gaza have been killed by the Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian territory.

"Qassam Brigades estimates that the number of Zionist prisoners who were killed in Gaza as a result of Zionist strikes and massacres has reached almost 50," the group said in a statement on Thursday issued on its Telegram channel.

Israel launched a massive air and artillery bombardment of Gaza after Hamas carried out a brutal attack on Israel on October 7.

Earlier, the Israeli army said 224 people were abducted by Hamas during the attack that left 1,400 people dead.

*) Humanitarian crisis deepens in Gaza amid total Israeli siege: UN

The UN agency providing aid to Palestinian civilians in besieged Gaza warned it may have to shut down operations shortly if no fuel reaches the enclave, amid an increasingly desperate need for shelter, water, food and medical services.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA said it urgently needed fuel to maintain life-saving humanitarian operations in the Palestinian enclave that has been under Israeli bombardment for almost three weeks.

"If fuel is not received into Gaza, UNRWA will be forced to significantly reduce and in some cases bring its humanitarian operations across Gaza to a halt. The coming 24 hours are very critical," it said.

*) Global oil prices rise over $1 as Israel intensifies attacks on Palestine

Oil prices rose by over $1 on Friday as reports that the US military struck Iranian targets in Syria raised concerns of a widening of the Israel-Hamas conflict that could impact supply from the key Middle East producing region.

Brent crude futures for December rose $1.16, or 1.3 percent, to $89.09 a barrel by 0338 GMT. The US West Texas Intermediate contract for December climbed $1.08 , also 1.3 percent, to $84.29 a barrel.

Though the strike did not directly impact supply, it increases fears that the conflict in Gaza between Israel, backed by the US, and Hamas may spread and disrupt supply from major crude producer Iran.

A wider war could also impact shipments from Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, and other large producers in the Gulf.

*) Malaysia to warn TikTok, Meta over blocking of pro-Palestinian content

Malaysia's communications regulator will issue a warning to social media firms Tiktok and Meta for allegedly blocking pro-Palestinian content on their platforms, its communications minister said.

"If this issue is ignored, I will not hesitate to take a very firm approach and stance," Fahmi Fadzil said on Thursday in a posting on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Without elaborating, Fahmi said many parties had urged the government to take firm action against social media platforms for allegedly restricting pro-Palestinian content.

Representatives of Tiktok and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

*) Israeli forces launch 'relatively large' land incursions in Gaza: army

The Israeli army has carried out a "targeted raid" overnight in northern Gaza with tanks and infantry, it said in a statement, as the country prepares its forces for a ground invasion.

"Overnight, the IDF conducted a targeted raid using tanks in the northern Gaza Strip, as part of preparations for the next stages of combat," the army said in a statement.

"The soldiers exited the area at the end of the activity."

*) Altun: Israeli strike that killed family of Al Jazeera's Gaza reporter 'alarming'

Türkiye has condemned the Israeli strikes against Palestinian journalists in Gaza and their families following the killing of an Al Jazeera reporter's family members.

"We are shocked by yet another incident against news professionals, where the house of an Al Jazeera reporter, Wael Al Dahdouh, was destroyed by an Israeli strike." Türkiye's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said in a post on social media platform X late Wednesday.

Altun expressed condolences and deepest sympathies to Dahdouh.

He added, "We find it difficult to believe that this was random as Israel has been trying to stop the truth coming out from Gaza. These kinds of attacks amount to employing terror tactics against journalists to silence them."

*) Serbia, Türkiye to improve ties, continue talks for Kosovo: President Vucic

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said his government will continue to work to develop relations with Türkiye and the continuation of political dialogue.

“We have demonstrated the highest level of relations between the two countries in modern history,” Vucic wrote on social media on Wednesday after meeting Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler.

Vucic emphasised that Guler's visit to Belgrade has extreme importance, saying: “The visit will prove an additional contribution to the very important role that Serbia and Türkiye play in maintaining peace and stability throughout the Balkans.”

*) Multiple fatalities, injuries in Maine shooting, gunman still at large

At least 22 people were killed and several were injured in shootings in the city of Lewiston, Maine, local officials reported, with police saying that the gunman was still at large.

City Councilor Robert McCarthy told CNN that the death toll had risen to 22 in the shooting spree that took place at a bowling alley and also at least one other location, a local restaurant and bar, according to media.

Local police posted a photo of the shooter on Facebook carrying what appeared to be a semi-automatic style weapon inside the bowling alley.

*) UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones injured, title fight at MSG vs. Stipe Miocic called off

Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic will no longer fight for the UFC heavyweight championship next month in New York after Jones tore a pectoral tendon off the bone during training.

UFC President Dana White said Jones was injured during a training session on Monday. The heavyweight champion needs surgery and will be out at least eight months, throwing out the anticipated main event of UFC 295 on Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden.

White said Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall will fight for the interim heavyweight title. The light heavyweight title fight between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira was bumped to the main event.

*) UN chief says Hamas blitz 'didn't happen in a vacuum', riling Israel

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has rankled Israel at the United Nations Security Council meeting in which he stressed the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel "did not happen in a vacuum”.

Opening the session on Tuesday, Guterres said there was no excuse for the operation by Hamas on Israeli settlements but also warned against "collective punishment" of the Palestinians.

He then said Hamas operation "did not happen in a vacuum" as the Palestinians have been "subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation."

His remarks infuriated Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

*) UNSC deepening crisis in Gaza with one-sided approach: President Erdogan

The International community is failing in the face of Israel's lawless and indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Palestine's Gaza, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

In his message on the 78th anniversary of the United Nations, Erdogan thanked those working under its framework for peace and justice in the world.

He said a party that is a bystander to "collective punishment" of the people in Gaza cannot offer hope to humanity, and ensure peace, stability

*) Biden's Israel support angers Muslim Americans; could jeopardise 2024 votes

Muslim Americans and their allies are criticising President Joe Biden's response to the Israeli war on Gaza, asking him to do more to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the blockaded enclave or risk losing their support in the 2024 election.

Many Arab Americans and Muslim Americans are upset Biden has not pushed for any humanitarian ceasefire even as Palestinians are being killed by Israel's bombardment of besieged Gaza.

In hotly contested Michigan, Arab Americans account for 5 percent of the vote. In other battleground states, Pennsylvania and Ohio, they are between 1.7 percent to 2 percent, said Jim Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute.

Biden won Michigan with 50.6 percent of the vote in 2020, compared to 47.8 percent for Trump, and Pennsylvania with 50.01 percent to Trump's 48.84 percent, a difference of less than 81,000 votes.

*) US is world's 'biggest disruptor' of peace — China

The United States is the "biggest disruptor of regional peace and stability" in the world, China has said in a scathing response to a Pentagon report on China's growing military buildup.

"The US has sent depleted uranium munitions and cluster bombs to Ukraine, sent its carrier battle groups to the Mediterranean and weapons and munitions to Israel, is this the so-called 'gospel' the 'human rights defender is bringing to the area?" said Wu Qian, the spokesperson for China's Defence Ministry.

*) Netflix and Spielberg combine for 'binge watch' story of life on Earth

"Life on Our Planet," the new natural history series from Netflix and Steven Spielberg, sets out to tell the entire, dramatic story of life on Earth in a serialised, "binge-watch" format.

Streaming globally from Wednesday, the show's eight episodes transport viewers through Earth's five previous mass extinction events, each recreated with computer-generated visual effects.

Aside from a series of cliffhanger finales, "Life on Our Planet" finds dramatic tension with a series of ordinary, loveable underdogs who "win" evolution against the odds — at least for a few hundred million years.

1) Israeli overnight strikes kill at least 110 Palestinians in Gaza

At least 110 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks overnight across Gaza, marking the 18th day of Israel’s war on the besieged enclave.

Deaths and injuries were reported in Israeli airstrikes on residential buildings in Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Israeli strikes also targeted houses next to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and apartments west of the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza.

The Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza was also targeted, according to Al Aqsa satellite channel.

Palestinian group Hamas claims that 140 people were killed overnight.

2) Health Ministry in Gaza warns all electric generators at hospitals will soon stop working

The Health Ministry in Gaza has warned that electric generators in hospitals will cease functioning within the next 48 hours due to a fuel shortage.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudra said the mechanism followed to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza is "slow and cannot change the reality," stressing that "the healthcare system has reached the worst stage in its history."

Earlier on Monday, the ministry said that 32 health centres are out of service due to targeting by Israeli warplanes and the fuel shortage.

3) Six UN refugee agency workers killed in Gaza in 24 hours

Six workers with the United Nation's Palestinian refugee agency have been killed in just 24 hours in Israel-besieged Gaza, the global body has said, bringing to 35 the total of its staff killed since October 7.

Humanitarian and aid workers have not been spared in more than two weeks of relentless Israeli bombardment on Gaza.

In an update sent Tuesday on the situation up to Monday evening, the UN’s humanitarian agency said at least 16 health workers have been killed while on duty, along with 35 UNRWA staff since the start of hostilities.

*) US weapons, staff rush to Israel as ground invasion of Gaza looms

The Pentagon has sent military advisers to Israel and is speeding multiple sophisticated air defence systems ahead of an anticipated ground invasion of Palestine's Gaza.

One of the officers leading the assistance is Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Glynn, who previously led special operations forces against Daesh and served in Iraq, according to a US official.

*) Israeli army launches arrest campaign at dawn on Tuesday in Ramallah, West Bank

The Israeli army has launched an arrest campaign at dawn in Ramallah city of the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Israeli forces have cracked down on the occupied West Bank after beginning air strikes on Gaza in retaliation for the October 7 attacks launched by Hamas into Israel.

Over the past two weeks, according to officials and rights groups, Israel has arrested some 4,000 labourers from Gaza who were working in Israel.

Separately, it has also arrested 1,070 other Palestinians in overnight army raids in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

As of Tuesday, October 24, Israeli forces have killed at least 95 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank.

*) Israel kills 400 Palestinians in one day

At least 400 Palestinians have been killed in intensified Israeli attacks on besieged Gaza.

Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that according to medical sources, 70 percent of the death toll was women, children and elderly.

Death toll of women in Israeli airstrikes has reached over 1,000 and forced displacement stands at about half a million others, according to the media office of Gaza administration.

Over 4,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its bombardment on October 7. 

*) 120 incubated newborns’ lives are at risk as fuel runs out in Gaza’s hospitals

The UN children's agency has warned that the lives of at least 120 newborn babies on incubators in Gaza’s hospitals are at risk as fuel runs out.

Health care workers have warned that a dire lack of medicine, fuel and water is about to turn Gaza into a mass graveyard after Israel sealed the territory off.

Palestinian Health Ministry reported Israeli strikes have already killed more than 1,750 children in retaliation for the October 7 Hamas attacks.

*) Israel's 'unusual weapons' against Palestinians cause severe burns

Gaza’s Health Ministry has said Israel has been using “unusual weapons” that cause severe burns to the bodies of victims.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qudra stated that “medical staff monitored the usage of unusual weapons that caused severe burns to the bodies of the martyrs and wounded.” 

Al Qudra also warned 1,000 patients could die due to kidney failure if fuel supplies are not made available to hospitals and the healthcare sector.

*) Cairo's 'Summit for Peace' ends without any breakthrough on Gaza ceasefire

Muslim, Arab and Western countries came together in Egypt’s capital Cairo to find a solution for the ongoing conflict in Palestine’s Gaza.

Dubbed "Summit for Peace", the meeting was meant to be a diplomatic solution for a ceasefire but ended with no breakthrough.

"The disagreement was over condemning Israel, which Western states refused to do," an Arab official said.

Instead, they sought a statement that placed "responsibility for the escalation on Hamas", which Arab states refused, according to an Arab diplomat.

*) Turkish presidential plane arrives in Cairo with medical aid for Gaza

A Turkish presidential plane carrying vital medical equipment for Palestine’s Gaza has touched down in Egypt’s capital Cairo.

According to Türkiye’s Health Ministry, a group of 20 healthcare experts and doctors were also on board.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Friday, October 20th.

*) Israel targets Gaza church

At least two women have been killed and many other civilians wounded in an Israeli attack on Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in besieged Gaza, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said.

Palestinian Interior Ministry reported multiple casualties, calling it a "new massacre". The ministry said several displaced people had taken shelter at the church compound when Israeli warplanes targeted it.

The strike left a "large number of martyrs and injured" at the compound, the ministry said.

*) Israeli defence minister tells troops to prepare for ground assault in Gaza

Israel’s defence minister has told ground troops to be ready to enter Gaza, though he did not say when the invasion will start.

In a meeting with Israeli infantry soldiers on the Gaza border on Thursday, Yoav Gallant urged the forces to "get organised, be ready" for an order to move in.

Whoever sees Gaza from afar now will see it from the inside," he said. "I promise you."

Shortly after Gallant's statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a video of himself with troops near the border promising victory.

*) US Muslim group faces death threats over event to highlight Gaza crisis

A major US Muslim civil rights group planning to highlight rampant human rights violations of Palestinians by Israel is moving its annual event out of a Virginia hotel after anonymous threats to bomb the venue.

“We strongly condemn the extreme and disgusting threats against our organisation, the Marriott hotel and its staff," CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad, who is Palestinian American, said in a statement.

*) Turkish league matches to start with minute's silence in solidarity with Palestine

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has announced that a moment of silence for Palestine will be held before this week's league matches.

The federation also said the players will appear on the field wearing black armbands.

The war in Gaza, which has been under Israeli bombardment and a blockade since 2007, began on October 7 when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltration into Israel by land, sea and air.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in Gaza.

And finally…

*) Biden tries to rally Americans on Israel, Ukraine support

US President Joe Biden has delivered a rare Oval Office speech urging Americans to back military aid for Israel and Ukraine at what he called a perilous moment for democracy around the globe, as Israel readied troops for a ground invasion of besieged Gaza.

Fresh from a trip to Israel after the October 7 surprise Hamas operation on Israeli settlements, the Democratic president's primetime address on Thursday to the nation, pitched the case for a global US role to war-weary voters and isolationist Republicans.

Biden sought to link the Hamas resistance group in Gaza to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine.

"Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: They both want to annihilate a neighbouring democracy," he said.

And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com

*) Seven children among civilians killed in fresh Israeli strikes on Gaza

At least seven children were among several civilians killed in an Israeli air strike on a house close to a school sheltering displaced people in southern Gaza.

The official WAFA news agency reported that Israeli warplanes struck a home in the Khan Younis refugee camp besides other sites in the besieged enclave.

“This is a massacre,” hospital director Dr. Yousef Al Akkad said, his voice choking with emotion. “Let the world see, these are just children.”

*) US says Egypt to allow limited aid into Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi has agreed to open the Rafah crossing into besieged Gaza to allow a first batch of humanitarian aid trucks through, US President Joe Biden said.

"He agreed to ... let up to 20 trucks through to begin with," Biden told reporters after calling Sisi from Air Force One while returning from a visit to Israel.

Both leaders agreed to work closely on encouraging an "urgent and robust" response to a humanitarian appeal by the United Nations, the White House said.

*) UN demands investigation into hospital attack in Gaza

The UN has demanded an investigation into an Israeli attack on Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza that claimed hundreds of lives.

When asked by Anadolu news agency whether the UN will be involved in the investigation to clarify details of the attack that killed hundreds of civilians, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said it is "early days" and the UN will "have to see what is done by way of investigation."

"It is essential that there could be some form of investigation into this," he added.

*) Türkiye declares three days of national mourning for Gaza

Türkiye has declared a three-day national mourning period in solidarity with Palestine following an Israeli air strike on the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza that killed at least 500 people.

"As Türkiye, we feel the great suffering of our Palestinian brothers and sisters in our hearts," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

The Turkish legislature earlier condemned in a joint statement Israeli attacks on hospital, and emphasised that bombing medical facilities is against the laws of war.

And finally…

*) Anti-Zionist Jews in US urge end to Israel's war in Gaza

At least a hundred protesters have occupied a building of the US Congress urging lawmakers and Joe Biden administration to push for an end to Israel's war in besieged Gaza.

Dressed in black T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Jews say cease fire now" and "Not in our name," the activists on Wednesday sat clapping and singing on the floor in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office building and held up large banners that read "Ceasefire" and "Let Gaza Live".

Capitol police said protests are not allowed inside the building and many demonstrators were arrested.