On the eighth day of the Gaza war, triggered by militant group Hamas’ unprovoked attack on Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday met Israeli troops deployed near Gaza and told them that “the next stage is coming” as the country prepares for more counteroffensives in the coming days.
On the other hand, several countries, including India continue to evacuate their citizens from the war-torn country. On Saturday, the third batch of 197 Indian nationals wanting to leave Israel boarded a special flight arranged by the Indian Government under Operation Ajay.
Here are some important updates on Israel-Palestine War Day 8:
- PM Benjamin Netanyahu met Israeli troops near the Gaza border on Saturday and told them to prepare more for the “next stage” in Israel’s response to Hamas’s attack last week.
- The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday said it killed a commander in Hamas’s commando forces Ali Qadhi, who led one of the murderous attacks on Israel last week.
- The Israel Defense Forces is preparing to execute a wide-ranging offensive against the Hamas terrorist organization, including coordinated attacks from the air, sea, and land, the IDF said on Saturday evening.
- Israel’s chief military spokesman said that the Israeli military is going to strike Gaza City “very soon.”
- The Tel Aviv Open tennis tournament scheduled for next month has been cancelled because of the Israel-Hamas war.
- Air India on Saturday extended the suspension of its scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv till October 18.
- The third batch of 197 Indian nationals wanting to leave Israel amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict left for home on a special flight on Saturday under Operation Ajay.
- Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah who was killed in Israeli shelling of southern Lebanon, was laid to rest in his hometown on Saturday.
- Egypt has refused to allow American nationals to evacuate through border crossing unless aid is allowed into the Gaza Strip, reported Sky News Arabia.
- The Israeli health ministry says 3,621 wounded since the start of the war, and 358 still hospitalized, including 102 in serious condition
- The military wing of the Hamas terror group on Saturday said that nine hostages, including four foreigners, were killed over the past 24 hours as a result of the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
- UK PM Rishi Sunak has directed military assets to be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel and prevent escalation.
- A senior Israeli official admitted Saturday “mistakes” in intelligence assessments ahead of a brutal Hamas attack, reported AFP.