The current system of aid to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing is “doomed to fail”warned, Monday October 30, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), denouncing the “collective punishment” imposed by Israel. “Let’s be clear: the handful of convoys authorized through Rafah are nothing compared to the needs of more than 2 million people trapped in Gaza”launched Philippe Lazzarini, calling on the members of the Security Council for help and demanding a “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”. For its part, Washington considers it possible to arrive “in the coming days” to bring in “100 trucks per day” humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. Follow our live stream.
Israel rejects ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday ruled out any ceasefire in the war in the Gaza Strip, which he said would be “a surrender to Hamas”. “Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas. This will not happen”he said, during a press conference in Tel Aviv, urging the international community to join his country in demanding the release “immediate and unconditional” hostages held in Gaza. A White House spokesperson also ruled on Monday that a ceasefire was not “not the right answer at the moment” and estimated that the Palestinian Islamist group “would be the only one to benefit from it”.
The United States welcomes the restoration of the internet underway in Gaza. Washington said Monday it had put pressure on Israel to restore internet access in the Gaza Strip, cut off Friday during intense Israeli bombardments. “We made it clear to the Government of Israel over the weekend that communications networks needed to be restored and we are pleased that they have taken steps to do so.”State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.
Israel announces that it has released a soldier held hostage in Gaza. The Israeli military and Internal Security Service said in a joint statement Monday that they had freed a female soldier kidnapped during the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack and held hostage in Gaza. “Private Ori Megidish was freed during a ground operation” during the night from Sunday to Monday, specifies the press release, which affirms that “LThe soldier is doing well and was able to reunite with her family.
Hamas publishes a video of three women presented as hostages. On this 76-second video, broadcast by Hamas media with the title “a number of Zionist detainees send a message to [Benyamin] Netanyahu and his government, three women appear facing the camera, sitting on plastic chairs. One of the three calls on the Israeli Prime Minister to conclude an exchange of prisoners with the Palestinian movement to obtain their release.
Rocket warning sirens sounded in Jerusalem. Five detonations were heard following the sirens. These warning sirens, rather unusual since Jerusalem is located quite a distance from the Gaza Strip, come on the 24th day of the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas. According to the latest reports, 8,306 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, according to Hamas. THEIsraeli authorities say for their part that the conflict has left 1,400 dead in Israel, most of them civilians.
An invaded airport in Russia. In the predominantly Muslim Russian republic of Dagestan, an airport was closed after being stormed by a crowd searching for passengers on a flight from Israel. These incidents were denounced by the Dagestan authorities, while the United States condemned “anti-Semitic demonstrations”. According to Moscow, 60 “active participants” were arrested and nine police officers injured during these clashes.