ISRAEL

Families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, the Islamist group which carried out brutal attacks on Israel on October 7, called Thursday for access for the Red Cross to treat their relatives.

Fighting in the war-torn Gaza Strip raged for a 20th day Thursday after Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.

US President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Israel has the right to respond to the October 7 Hamas attack but must do everything it can to protect civilians.

Ambassador R. Ravindra said India is "deeply concerned" about the loss of civilian lives in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Israel-Palestine conflict began in the mid-20th century when Israel was established in 1948, leading to displacement and tensions with Palestinians. Rooted in historical, religious, and territorial disputes, the conflict continues to this day, with peace efforts and violence marking its history.

Modi wrote on Twitter about his talks with the Jordanian King on the developments in West Asia, and shared concerns about terrorism, violence and loss of civilian lies.

They were spared from the bloody Hamas attack on October 7 and they are exempt from military service.

India has reasserted New Delhi's long-standing position on the Israel-Palestine issue, and called for a two-state solution.

Trucks stuffed with international aid for Gaza should be rolling "in the next day or so," the United Nations said Friday, with Palestinians desperate for life-saving supplies after relentless bombing from Israel, still reeling from its bloodiest-ever attack.

Asian markets tumbled Thursday on fears the Israel-Hamas crisis would spill over into a wider conflict in the Middle East, with some warning that a full-blown war was increasingly likely.

Liverpool and Egypt football star Mohamed Salah called for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza on Wednesday as he pleaded for an end to "massacres" in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The U.S. president reinforced support for Israel in its fight against Hamas in a speech in Tel Aviv.

About 500 people were killed in the Israeli airstrike on the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in central Gaza, the region's health ministry said. Israel blamed the incident on a misfired Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket.

Names scheduled to participate in the Web Summit cancelled their attendance in reaction to the CEO's criticism of Israel.

In Saudi Arabia, the mercurial crown prince kept him waiting until dawn.

US President Joe Biden abruptly cancelled a domestic political trip to meet with his national security team Monday as he weighed an invitation to go to Israel to show support as it wages war against Hamas.

The Hamas attack has left Middle Eastern nations taking different stances, with UAE and Bahrain being more careful with their tone, while Kuwait, Oman and Qatar blame Israel's policies for the violence.

Israel on Friday gave Palestinians 24 hours to leave Gaza City ahead of an expected ground offensive in retaliation against Hamas for the deadliest attack in Israeli history.

Hundreds of Hollywood celebrities signed an open letter Thursday condemning the "barbaric acts" of Hamas fighters who murdered and abducted Israeli civilians in a shocking weekend assault.

Like clockwork, every 30 seconds Israeli artillery goes into action against a barely visible target somewhere in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

In its bloody assault on Israel, Hamas was aiming to break a stalemate in Gaza, analysts say, but with its neighbour now determined to eradicate the Islamist group, it may have made a fatal mistake.