Israel Hamas battle: Number of hostages held in Gaza rises as Rafah crossing reopens

US president Joe Biden stated there’s a want for a humanitarian “pause” within the Israel-Hamas battle after he was interrupted by a protester calling for ceasefire in Gaza.

Mr Biden was chatting with a crowd of supporters in Minneapolis about his causes for working for president in 2020 when a lady acquired up and yelled: “Mr President, if you care about Jewish people, as a rabbi, I need you to call for a cease-fire.”

“I think we need a pause,” Mr Biden stated.

Mr Biden’s latest comment was a delicate departure for the president and high White House aides, who all through the Mideast disaster have been steadfast in stating they won’t dictate how the Israelis perform their army operations in response to the 7 October attack by Hamas.

The White House has refused to name for a cease-fire however has signaled that the Israelis ought to take into account humanitarian pauses to permit civilians to obtain support and for overseas nationals trapped on the strip to go away Gaza.

“This is incredibly complicated for the Israelis,” Mr Biden added. “It’s incredibly complicated for the Muslim world as well. … I supported a two-state solution, I have from the very beginning.”

The our bodies of two Lebanese shepherds who had been shot at by Israeli forces have been present in an space close to the border on Thursday, the Lebanese state National News Agency (NNA) reported.

A spokesperson for the Israeli military stated it was trying into the report.

The NNA, which gave no supply for its report, stated they’d been tending to their flock close to the Wazzani river once they have been shot at.

Lebanese safety sources stated the shepherds from the Lebanese border village of Wazzani have been aged 20 and 21.

A person has been arrested on suspicion of felony harm after a protest in central Lonon, which noticed messages concerning the Israel-Hamas battle spray painted onto a building.

The variety of folks killed in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes has risen to 9,061, in accordance with the Hamas-led Gaza well being ministry.

In their latest update, they stated that 3,760 youngsters have been among the many useless are 3,760 youngsters.

Since yesterday, the demise toll has climbed by greater than 260 folks, when it stated 8,796 folks had died – 3,648 of them youngsters.

A Christmas advert from Marks and Spencer’s has obtained backlash after it confirmed hats within the colors of the Palestinian flag burning in a hearth.

Replying to the unique put up, one commenter wrote: “This is absolutely vile, you should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Another agreed: “Absolutely disgusting. Even if it was recorded in August you should have reshot this image or used technology to make changes. Shame on you!!!”

One person on X, previously Twitter, stated: “How come you have that much hate to deliver disguised as “Christmas celebration”?”

But different consumers defended M&S and stated the chain mustn’t have needed to apologise for the picture.

One stated: “Why are you apologising when it was recorded in August? If some stupid person thinks you have purposely just made it up since the 7th Oct then that’s down to them. Deary me..”

Another wrote: “Oh for heaven’s sake. I don’t often use the word snowflake but this is ridiculous. You’re apologising because people got ‘offended’ by a photo of Christmas hats in a fire grate?”

Marks and Spencer’s has apologised after posting an outtake from its Christmas advert that confirmed hats within the colors of the Palestinian flag burning in a hearth, which has divided opinion on social media.

M&S stated the intent was to “playfully show that some people don’t enjoy wearing paper Christmas hats” with the picture posted to the retailer’s social media of festive pink, inexperienced and silver paper hats burning in a hearth.

The picture was captioned: “This Christmas, do what you love… like saying no to paper hats” alongside “#LoveThismasNotThatmas.”

M&S stated the outtake from the advert it shared on Instagram was recorded in August, months earlier than Hamas launched a shock attack on Israel on October 7.

But some social media customers claimed there was a similarity between the colors of the hats and the Palestinian flag, with one person describing the picture as “distasteful”.

The United Arab Emirates has stated it plans to deal with 1,000 Palestinian youngsters from Gaza, with out saying how they would go away the Israeli-besieged enclave for the Gulf state.

UAE state information company WAM reported President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had directed hospitals to deal with 1,000 Palestinian youngsters “accompanied by their families”.

Qatar succeeded in brokering a deal to permit some folks to go away Gaza by the Rafah crossing into Egypt, with some 7,500 overseas passport holders anticipating to go away over the course of about two weeks.

The Emirati overseas ministry has not offered additional particulars on their plans to supply therapy and host the Palestinians.

The variety of Hezbollah fighters killed since 7 October has risen to 50, the group has stated.

The Iran-backed militants final put the demise toll at 47, following weeks of clashes with Israel throughout the Lebanese border. Rising tensions have resulted in over 20,000 fleeding south Leabonon and shifting to the coastal border or inland.

Most of their fighters have been killed in drone strikes, however Hezbollah unveiled its first surface-to-air missile functionality on Sunday.