War breaking news. Israeli tanks penetrate Gaza, heavy shelling. The army: it is not yet the invasion. UN fails to pass condemnation of Hamas, Israel: an infamy

"Today is a day that will go down in infamy, a dark day for the UN, which no longer has a shred of relevance or legitimacy". This is the harsh attack launched by Israel after the General Assembly gave the green light to the Gaza truce resolution. "Israel has the right to defend itself. The only way is to eradicate the terrorist capacity of Hamas, and this resolution does not even mention Hamas," said Ambassador Gilad Erdan. "Why do you defend murderers, terrorists who behead children? Shame on you," he said, reiterating that the resolution is "ridiculous"

The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, said that they are currently facing an Israeli ground incursion in Beit Hanoun east of the Palestinian refugee camp of Bureij, located in the central part of the Gaza Strip, and that violent clashes are taking place on the ground. This was reported by al Jazeera online.

The Israeli army is launching a larger ground incursion into the Gaza Strip than before, but it is not yet the official major ground invasion that has been announced for days. Israeli Defence Forces spokesman Peter Lerner told Abc news. The Israel Defence Forces are expanding operations in these hours, the spokesman said, with the largest Israeli ground operation in Gaza since the 7 October attack. The Israeli army, he added, is doing everything possible to avoid civilian casualties, but this is "a war", a war that Hamas "started".

"We do not draw red lines for Israel. We will continue to support them." So said US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, speaking at a press briefing about Washington's attitude to the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza. But, he added in reference to the offensive, "from the outset we have and will continue to have conversations about how they're going to do it".

The UN General Assembly rejected the amendment proposed by Canada (with US support) to the Gaza truce resolution. The amendment "unequivocally condemned the 7 October Hamas terrorist attacks" in Israel and called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of hostages. 88 countries voted in favour, 55 against and 23 abstained. A two-thirds majority present and voting was needed to pass (abstentions do not count).

"Israel has just launched a ground war on Gaza. The result will be a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions for years to come. Voting against the Arab resolution at the UN General Assembly means approving this senseless war, this senseless killing. Millions of people will be watching every vote. History will judge'. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi writes this on X.

"This is the time for arms". Thus Hamas issued "an urgent call to our people in the West Bank" to take up arms against Israel.

Egypt said investigations conducted following Friday's explosions in Nuweiba and Taba showed that there were two drones coming from the south of the Red Sea towards the north, where one was targeted outside Egyptian airspace in the Gulf of Aqaba, while the second fell in Taba, an Egyptian military spokesman said in a statement on Friday. "The air force and air defence forces are intensifying work to secure Egyptian airspace in all strategic directions in the country," the statement added

The Biden administration is urging Israel to rethink its plan for a ground offensive in Gaza, and opt for a more 'surgical' operation using aircraft and special forces for targeted and precise raids. The Washington Post reports this, citing sources who say that the administration is concerned about the potential repercussions of an all-out assault and increasingly doubts that it would achieve Israel's goal of eliminating Hamas. An invasion could also derail negotiations for the release of hostages.

The US supports the idea of a 'humanitarian pause' to bring aid to Gaza. This was said by US Security Council spokesman John Kirby in a press briefing.

Hamas has appealed to the world to "act immediately" to stop the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. "We call on Arab and Muslim countries and the international community to take responsibility and act immediately to stop the crimes and massacres against our people," Hamas said in a statement picked up by Israeli media.

US anti-Iran strikes in Syria have targeted munitions depots. This was said by US Security Council spokesman John Kirby, stressing that the administration expects the raids to have a "significant impact" on Tehran-backed militant groups. "The purpose of these attacks was to have a significant impact on the future operations of the Revolutionary Guards and Iran-backed militia groups," Kirby said. "They targeted storage facilities and ammunition depots that we know will be used to support the work of these militia groups, particularly in Syria," the official added.

John Kirby (Ap)

The Hamas press office in Gaza announced earlier on Telegram that 'a massive Israeli attempt is underway to penetrate the Strip from the north and east... Several Israeli tanks have been destroyed. The battle is ongoing around the division barrier'.

Bombe israeliane su Gaza (Afp)

The revolt among the ranks of the British Labour Party, the first opposition force in the United Kingdom, against the leader of the party, Sir Keir Starmer, is gaining strength, with a precise demand made of him: change the excessively rigid line on the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and call for a ceasefire to stop the bombing conducted by the Jewish State in Gaza so as to allow adequate humanitarian assistance to civilians. Today, Labour bigwigs such as the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, head of the most important administration in the Kingdom, and the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, perhaps the most popular among Labour's grassroots among those in positions of responsibility, as well as the leader of the political coalition for Scotland, Anas Sarwar, whose family origins are Pakistani and Muslim like the first citizen of the capital. Despite strong pressure to support a truce coming from nearly a quarter of his MPs and hundreds of local councillors who are accountable to their constituents, the newly-moderate Starmer has continued to defend his de facto alignment with Rishi Sunak's Conservative government.

Keir Starmer (Reuters)

A barrage of rockets was fired from Gaza into southern Israel. Alarm sirens resounded in the cities of Ashkelon and Sderot, coinciding with the massive Israeli raids on the Strip.

Esplosioni al confine tra Israele e Striscia di Gaza (Reuters)

Israeli army ground forces are expanding their raids inside the Gaza Strip tonight along with air strikes. This was reported by military spokesman Daniel Hagari, renewing an appeal to Palestinian residents to evacuate to the south of the Strip. "The air force is hitting underground targets very significantly," Hagari added. Several Gaza residents told CNN that tonight's Israeli air raids are the most intense since the conflict began last 7 October

Nearly 29,000 Lebanese civilians have fled from communities close to the border with Israel due to deadly artillery exchanges between Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli army. This was stated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). A total of 28,965 Lebanese have fled their homes, the UN agency says in an update, adding that the figure has increased by 37% since the last report on Tuesday. Some have found refuge with family members further from the border, while those who can afford it have been able to rent flats on a short-term basis.

The Israeli army began heavy artillery strikes in Gaza and massive raids against the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Strip. Israeli media reported this. Internet connections in the Gaza Strip broke down shortly afterwards due to the shelling

The Pope prays for peace and calls for conversion: "Shake the souls of those trapped by hatred, convert those who fuel and foment conflict. Dry the tears of children, assist the lonely and elderly, support the wounded and the sick, protect those who have had to leave their land and loved ones, console the discouraged, restore hope," says the Pontiff addressing Our Lady. "We consecrate our world to you, especially countries and regions at war, open glimmers of light in the night of conflicts, inspire paths of peace in the leaders of nations. You, Lady of all peoples, reconcile your children, seduced by evil, blinded by power and hatred".

"The continuing evolution of the situation in the Middle East calls for an equally rapid response to try to restore peace and justice for the peoples living in those territories. This is why Cospe, together with a large part of Florentine civil society, launches the proposal of a peace conference to be held in Palazzo Vecchio, recognising in our city and its political symbol, a central role in the dialogue for peace between peoples". Thus, in a note, the proposal of the NGO Cospe, which is based in Florence and has been engaged for years with international solidarity projects, as well as maintaining constant relations with the society of Israel and Palestine, "with the activists of the two sides who are working for coexistence and justice and therefore for peace".

A Russian minesweeper ship exploded today in the port of Sevastopol, according to the Telegram channel 'Crimea Wind'. Spokeswoman for the Southern Front of the Ukrainian Forces, Natalia Humeniuk, commented on the news, saying that it cannot be ruled out that the ship jumped on a Russian mine. "It is impossible to discard such a 'misfortune', as the Russian version says," the Ukrainian spokeswoman joked on television. "They made life difficult for themselves by scattering mines," she added. The exploded ship, Crimea Wind reports, is the Vladimir Kozitskiy, which had been operating for days in the Sevastopol area, base of the Russian Neo Sea Fleet in Crimea. After the explosion, smoke was seen rising from the engine room. The ship was then towed by a tug into Streletskaya Bay. The Vladimir Kozitskiy is part of a recent project to develop new Russian mine destroyers. It weighs 192.7 tonnes, is 33 metres long and 6.8 metres wide, and is equipped with two powerful diesel engines, writes Rbc Ukraine. On 13 October, Ukrainian services attacked two Russian naval vessels in Crimea, the Buyan and the Pavel Derzhavin, with naval drones.

The Hamas central command is under and inside the Shifa hospital in Gaza City, the largest in the Strip. Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said this, providing photos, videos and recordings to support this claim. "Hamas," he said, "runs the war from the hospitals and uses civilians as human shields.

Hagari went on to explain that Hamas has several underground "complexes" under the Shifa used by the faction's leaders for attacks against Israel. He added that there is accurate information that there are several tunnels leading to the underground base from outside the hospital so that Hamas leaders do not have to enter the hospital to reach the command centre. The underground entrance to the command centre, he stressed, can also be reached from various points in the hospital itself. Hagari clarified that the information on Hamas use of the hospital is based on a wide variety of intelligence sources assembled by the Army's Military Services, the Shin Bet (Internal Security) and that the information has already been passed on to the allies. "We have raised a red flag to the world: using hospitals as infrastructure for terrorism and the inhabitants of Gaza as human shields is a war crime."

L’ospedale Al Shifa a Gaza (foto SCIABOLA EPA/MOHAMMED)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan criticised Israel calling the raids against the Gaza Strip "crimes against humanity". "International law has been violated," Fidan said during a joint press conference with his Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Ankara, broadcast on Turkish state TV Trt. "Those who remained silent in the face of Israel's atrocities are accomplices in this operation," Fidan added, reiterating the idea of creating a "guarantee mechanism" to resolve the crisis between Israel and Palestine "in which Muslim countries in the region are invited to play an active role."

Citing its own sources, Al Jazeera satellite TV spoke of negotiations having entered an "accelerated phase to agree a ceasefire and complete an agreement between Hamas and Israel". The negotiations, "with the mediation of Qatar" also cover the issue of abductees in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, the Doha-based satellite channel reported.

The new Republican Speaker, Mike Johnson, called on Joe Biden to "bifurcate" military aid to Ukraine and Israel, which the White House has combined into one $100 billion additional funding package. "I've told the White House staff that there is consensus among House Republicans that we need to bifurcate these two issues," Johnson, said in an interview with Fox News, asserting that the House is ready to approve the $14 billion in support of the war against Hamas now, while there is resistance to approving the $61 billion new for Kiev. In the interview, Johnson says Kiev's war effort against Russia but also stresses the need to limit spending. "We cannot allow Vladimir Putin to win because otherwise I don't think he would stop there and that would probably encourage China to make a move against Taiwan." "We will not abandon them," he said referring to the Ukrainians, "but we have a responsibility over the precious treasure of the American people. We have to ensure that the White House is responsible with the dollars" that are allocated. And he went on to criticise the Biden administration for not setting an 'endgame', an end goal, for its continued support of Kiev.

It's a different story when it comes to funding for Israel: "One thing the House Republicans are adamant about is that we must stand by our most important ally in the Middle East, which is Israel. And that's what we're going to do," Johnson said, nevertheless expressing the "hope that this does not mean our troops on the ground." "We care deeply and we are concerned for all free peoples around the world," he concluded, "but we have to be concerned first and foremost about our home, and that therefore will be part of delicate calculations and decisions.

Israel plans to soon launch a long and difficult ground offensive in Gaza to destroy Hamas. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said this today, describing the campaign that will require the destruction of a vast network of tunnels used by Palestinian militants. Gallant spoke to a small group of foreign journalists in Tel Aviv and added that the ground invasion, which follows weeks of air strikes, "will take a long time" and will lead to another phase of low-intensity fighting, while Israel is already destroying "pockets of resistance" of the Palestinian group.

"We are at the stage of preparing the 12th sanctions package against Russia. We are in the consultation phase with the member countries". This was stated by the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. In particular, she adds, 'we are looking at how to reduce the remaining revenues to Russia, in particular those related to diamond exports to Europe and its partners. This can be done in close contact with our G7 partners. Then we will make sure that the existing sanctions are implemented properly,' he explains.

On the casualties in Gaza "we cannot quote or verify precise figures", because those who comment on numbers and specific destruction are often Hamas and "Hamas is not a source of information for us". This was said today in Berlin by the deputy spokesman of the German government, Wolfgang Büchner. The spokesman emphasised at the same time that it is undisputed that there are many civilian victims, "clearly we feel and see the emergency that people in the Gaza Strip are experiencing" and we know that there are "terrible situations and suffering for the people of Gaza". It is precisely for this reason that the German government is "very committed to making humanitarian aid possible" in the area, Büchner added.

See also:  UN, Gaza authorities' death toll is credible

Tehran, Oct 27 (Aki/Dpa) - In the midst of the regional crisis, and "in light of recent threats", the Iranian ground forces began two-day military exercises today aimed at testing the operational readiness of infantry, armoured vehicles as well as missiles and electronic weapon systems. This was announced by the Tasnim news agency, stating that four combat units are taking part in the manoeuvres in the central province of Isfahan. The exercises will also be used to test new weapons and the deterrence capability of the ground forces. In the last phase, training in coastal defence, night operations and counter-offensive operations will be practised.

"The commission will come up with a proposal on how to use the profits generated by frozen Russian assets that are earmarked and currently benefit only a few financial institutions: the idea is to pass them on to Ukraine for reconstruction through the EU budget". This was said by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The frozen funds amount to EUR 211 billion.

"The blockade of Gaza, the undifferentiated bombardment and the prospect of a massive ground operation (by Israel) are not of a nature to protect the civilian population". This was indicated by French President Emmanuel Macron at the end of the European Council meeting, which has just ended. Macron spoke of the need for a 'humanitarian truce' to protect the civilian population in Gaza and to give time to prepare solutions to the conflict such as, in the immediate term, solutions to free hostages, to address the issue of hospitals. However, he added that 'this war will last so solutions to these problems must be found'.

Il presidente francese Emmanuel Macron parla durante una conferenza stampa nel secondo e ultimo giorno del vertice dell’Unione Europea, presso la sede dell’UE a Bruxelles, il 27 ottobre 2023 (Foto di Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) said the death toll provided by the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health was "credible". "In the past, in the five, six rounds of conflict in the Gaza Strip, these figures were considered credible and no one has ever really questioned them," Unrwa head Philippe Lazzarini told reporters in Jerusalem. This was reported by Al Jazeera.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the US has launched attacks on Syria in response to those against US forces in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups. The US attacks are 'separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas', he said in a note, as reported by the BBC. Austin then urged all state and non-state forces to avoid actions that could escalate into a wider regional conflict.

It has been 'more than a month' since Russian long-range air force (LRA) bombers fired cruise missiles at Ukraine, 'one of the longest pauses in such attacks since the beginning of the conflict'. This is noted in the daily bulletin of British military intelligence, according to which Moscow is trying to restore missile stocks to attack energy installations this winter. "Russia is still capable of using other capabilities for raids, but the LRA is the primary tool for conducting precision strikes," the bulletin notes, "Russia has almost certainly had to reduce the frequency of attacks in order to rebuild the now diminished stockpile of As-23a Kodiak cruise missiles. "According to British military intelligence, Moscow is likely to use the new munitions being produced to "strike at Ukrainian energy infrastructure over the winter. Russia will also try to support this type of campaign with Iranian-made drones.

'Flotilla 13', an Israeli navy unit landed last night in the south of the Gaza Strip and destroyed Hamas terrorist infrastructure. This was announced by the military spokesman, who said that the target of the 'targeted' raid was a terrorist base of the Hamas 'frogmen'. At the end of the operation, 'Flotilla 13' returned to Israel.

Rocket warning sirens from Gaza recently sounded in Tel Aviv and central Israel forcing the population to rush to shelters. This was reported by ANSA on the spot. Explosions were heard in the air due to the interception of rockets by Iron Dome. The alarm also went off in Ashdod, a coastal city in the south of the country.

"Soon the criminals, the Zionists and their known supporters will be brought to their knees before the determination, steadfastness and resilience of the people of Palestine because of their war crimes in the Gaza Strip." This was stated on X by Foreign Ministry spokesman Iranian Nasser Kanani.

A new EU humanitarian flight carrying 51 tonnes of medicines and school supplies for Unicef destined for Gaza civilians left Copenhagen this morning. This was announced by the European Commission. Over the next two weeks five more flights will depart as part of the humanitarian airlift through Egypt

It was the Shiite Houthi militiamen who launched two kamikaze drones from Yemen that later landed in Egypt. The Israeli newspaper Ynet writes this, explaining that the target of these drones was to hit the port of Eliat in Israel, but they fell in the Egyptian city of Taba on the Red Sea, hitting a medical centre and a residential building, and in the city of Nuweiba in the Sinai Peninsula. Six Egyptian civilians were injured in the explosion in Taba.

A new EU humanitarian flight carrying 51 tonnes of medicines and school supplies for Unicef destined for Gaza civilians left Copenhagen this morning. This was announced by the European Commission. Over the next two weeks, five more flights will depart as part of the humanitarian airlift through Egypt.

The 'air threat from the Red Sea' - mentioned today by military spokesman Daniel Hagari at a press conference - was ''an unmanned aircraft'' that crashed in Taba (Egypt) where it injured five people. This was stated by military radio, according to which it is not clear whether it came from Yemen or was launched from a ship from the waters of the Red Sea. ''Airplanes from the Israeli Air Force tried to intercept it, but did not succeed,'' it specified. ''In any case,'' he added, ''it is clear that Iran is involved''. In this context, the broadcaster recalled that in May, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant revealed that the Pasdaran (the Guardians of the Revolution) had turned a number of commercial ships into platforms for launching unmanned aircraft and even missiles in order to create - according to Israel - ''floating terrorist bases'' to be deployed according to their needs in the seas of the Middle East

Ten trucks of humanitarian aid entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing from Egypt. This was reported by the media according to which the aid consists of water, food and medicine. So far, according to some estimates, a total of 84 trucks of various kinds of aid have entered, but without petrol.

The rocket warning sirens from Gaza have resumed sounding, after hours of relative calm, in the communities close to the Gaza Strip. This was announced by the Israeli army.

The Israeli army last night killed Madhath Mubashar, commander of the Western Khan Younis Battalion of Hamas. This was reported by the military spokesman who said that Madhath took part in attacks - with explosives and the use of snipers - against Israeli civilians, communities and soldiers. During the night - according to the same source - more than 250 Hamas military targets in the Strip were hit, including tunnels, dozens of operatives, operational command centres and rocket launching sites. The spokesman also added that a military drone had crashed in the Palestinian enclave due to malfunctioning.

Thirty-five aircraft and 15 military ships have been detected around Taiwan since 6 a.m. local time (midnight in Italia), the island's defence ministry reported. The Taiwan Armed Forces "have been monitoring the situation" and alerted the Air Force, Navy and land-based missile systems to follow Chinese activities. In a note, which signalled the strong resumption of China's military operations, the ministry added that 23 aircraft (including six J-10s) cut across the Taiwan Strait median line or entered the Air Defence Identification Zone (Adiz) in the north, northeast, southeast and southwest to encircle the island.

Hamas will not be able to release the hostages until a ceasefire is agreed: Abu Hamid, the representative of the Hamas delegation that visited Moscow yesterday, told the Russian daily Kommersant. Yesterday, the Russian Foreign Ministry had announced that during the meeting with the Hamas delegation Moscow had discussed the release of hostages and the evacuation of Russians from the Gaza Strip. The delegation of the Palestinian group met in the Russian capital with Mikhail Bogdanov, deputy foreign minister and presidential special envoy of Russia for the Middle East and Africa.

The Israeli army arrested 36 wanted Palestinians in the West Bank last night and of these, 17 are members of Hamas. The military spokesman said this, referring to the armed clashes that took place in the Jenin refugee camp during which three Palestinian militants were killed. One of them - the spokesman added - at Amer was from Islamic Jihad. The army then began preparations for the demolition of the house of Saleh Aruri, one of the Hamas leaders, located near Ramallah in the West Bank.

The updated number of hostages held in Gaza since the Hamas blitz on 7 October has risen to 229. This was stated by Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari, who had given a total figure of 224 yesterday. Hagari explained that the figure is constantly being updated based on intelligence information gathered continuously. He pointed out that the hostages include several foreign nationals, whose identification took time

"We hope that there will be no escalation", "the thing is very much related to the release of the hostages but if we manage to resolve the issue of the release of the hostages there would be less urgency to take ground action". This was said by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on the sidelines of a conference at the Campidoglio on the figure of the Vatican diplomat Achille Silvestrini. Asked if the Pope will meet the families of the hostages, he replied:" We are thinking about this, we have seen that they are here and have been received in Italy, a decision has not yet been made, I think it will be done by the end of today"

China expresses "deep condolences" for the death of former Premier Li Keqiang, who passed away overnight in Shanghai at the age of 68 from a heart attack. This was said by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, delivering Beijing's first public comment on the passing of the former Chinese Communist Party number two. 'We mourn with deep sadness the tragic passing of Comrade Li Keqiang due to a sudden heart attack,' Mao added, assuring in the daily briefing that 'an official obituary will be published soon'.

The Erfurt town hall in Germany was evacuated and sealed off due to a bomb threat. In the morning a drug-sniffing dog was used to search the building, a spokeswoman for the Erfurt police said, as reported by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The threat came via e-mail. The police spokeswoman did not say whether there was a political motive behind it. Employees were asked to leave the building or stay at home. According to information, the shutdown also partly affected the premises around the town hall. Since last week there have been bomb threats all over Germany, especially in schools. The perpetrators are unknown and the background is unclear. In some cases the e-mails containing the threats referred to Hamas and the war in Gaza, but also to the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia's Kursk nuclear power plant is operating normally after Russian defence forces foiled an attack by 3 Ukrainian drones. This was reported by the plant's press service, which stressed that there were no casualties or damage. "The Kursk NPP is operating normally," the statement read, "we confirm that an attack by three enemy drones on the Kursk NPP was foiled on the evening of 26 October. This event did not affect the operation of the plant'. This was reported by the Tass news agency.

Russian forces launched during the night against Ukraine an Iskander-M ballistic missile and six Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones, five of which were shot down by Ukrainian defences: this was announced by the Kiev Air Force, as Ukrainska Pravda reports. "On the night of 27 October 2023, the enemy attacked from the Primorsko-Akhtarsk region, using six Shahed-type attack Uavs (drones, ed.) in the direction of the southern regions of Ukraine and an Iskander-M ballistic missile from the Voronezh region in the direction of the Kharkiv region," a statement read. "The forces and means of the Air Force, in cooperation with the Air Defence Forces of the Ukrainian Defence Forces, destroyed five 'Shahed-136/131' in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions," the note adds.

Unrwa, the United Nations agency that deals with Palestinian refugees, explained that it has taken in 629,000 internally displaced persons in the Gaza Strip. This is three times the number of people that can be accommodated in shelters, it said in a note. ''Current overcrowded conditions continue to be a cause for concern and pose a health and protection risk,'' Unrwa added. In addition, the note said, the UN agency's fuel stocks are almost completely depleted, jeopardising life-saving services such as the provision of running water, health care and bakery services.

The troops of South Korea fear ''a surprise artillery attack in the style of the one launched by Hamas'' against Israel by North Korea and, to deal with it, conducted military exercises with the United States this week. This was announced today by South Korea's Ground Operations Command in a note.

South Korean and American troops then simulated how to respond to ''a Hamas-style enemy attack'' and conducted drills to ''remove the origins of the enemy's long-range artillery provocations in a timely manner''. Experts estimate that North Korea's long-range artillery could fire about 16,000 rounds per hour in the event of a conflict, posing a serious threat to Seoul, which is about 40-50 kilometres from the border.

Some of the casualties suffered by Russia near Avdiivka were caused 'at the behest of their own leaders'. The BBC writes this, referring to Moscow troops engaged in the fierce battle for the Ukrainian town  on the front line since mid-October. Ukrainian estimates put the number of Russian casualties in Avdiivka at 5,000, while the US says Russia has lost "at least" 125 armoured vehicles and more than the equipment of one battalion.

A Ukrainian army spokesman said that Russian troops are refusing to attack Ukrainian positions near Avdiivka due to heavy losses and that mutinies have occurred in some units. "Russia's mobilised forces remain under-trained, under-equipped and unprepared for combat, as was the case during last year's failed winter offensive," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said ieiri. "The Russian military appears to be using what we would call 'human surge' tactics, simply throwing masses of these poorly trained soldiers directly into battle."

Law enforcement officers and helicopters who had surrounded the home of a relative of Robert Card, the suspected perpetrator of Wednesday night's shooting, left after executing a search warrant and asking anyone inside the home to surrender. The officers shouted through a megaphone that Card or anyone inside the house near Bowdoin, in Maine, should "come out with your hands up". It is not known whether Card, who is accused of opening fire in a bowling alley and a restaurant in Lewiston, killing 18 people, was among them.

49% of Israelis believe we should wait for an army ground operation in Gaza in the absence of a breakthrough on the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. This was reported in a poll by the daily Maariv, which indicates a drop in support for entry into the Strip: a week ago support for the invasion was 65%. The reason for the drop - according to the newspaper - is precisely the issue of the 224 hostages held by Hamas in the Strip. For an immediate operation in the Palestinian enclave 29% expressed themselves while 22% did not.

Three Ukrainian drones attempted to attack the Russian nuclear power plant in Kursk, in the city of Kurchatov, last night, and one of them exploded near a nuclear waste storage site: the Russian Telegram news channel Shot reports. According to the media outlet, the first drone was found unexploded at around 8:20pm (7:20pm Italian time) near the checkpoint of the plant's administrative complex. The second was detected at around 21:30 local time and was neutralised with electronic warfare systems. The third was intercepted at around 23:40 local time, fell near a nuclear waste repository and exploded.

The Israeli army with tanks and soldiers - and air force support - entered the Gaza Strip again for limited raids. This was reported by the military spokesman, who said that Hamas operatives and positions were hit. The blitz targeted the area of Shujaiyya, a suburb of Gaza City well across the border. Immediately afterwards, the army exited the Strip without casualties.

The US attacks against Iranian-backed targets in Syria are linked to the Israel-Gaza war. Hassan Mneimneh, an expert on the Middle East and North Africa at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera that the US raids cannot be considered separate from the Jewish state's war in the Middle East.

"This is in the context of US support for Israel in its war against Gaza and therefore cannot be separated. It cannot be separated," Mneimneh said. "What we can talk about is the fact that we have uncertainty from Washington about Tehran's intentions and, in turn, uncertainty in Tehran about Washington's intentions."

Three Palestinians were killed - and 12 others wounded - in clashes with the Israeli army in Jenin in northern West Bank. This was reported, quoted by the Wafa agency, by the director of the city hospital Wissam Bakr, who identified the three as Abdullah Bassam Abu Al-Haija, Muhammad Al-Amer (24) and Jawad Al-Turki. The Israeli army has not yet commented on the facts.

"The first 56 tonnes of humanitarian aid sent via Egypt" by the EU "have been delivered to Gaza". This was announced by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the end of the first working day of the EU summit. "The next two flights are scheduled for today, Friday, and there will be more in the coming days," von der Leyen emphasised, pointing to the need for "humanitarian aid" to reach "Gaza unhindered and quickly".

"Next year we will return to the regular mechanism" of economic governance, "the escape clause will end and there will be a transition to regular management, with e.g. the issue of the excessive deficit procedure". This was confirmed by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at a press conference at the end of the first day of the EU summit. "It is very difficult to say what kind of requirements" on public debt "the member states will face until the discussion" on the new rules of the Stability Pact is concluded, she added.

A Chinese fighter jet came "within 10 feet" of a US bomber B-52  flying over the South China Sea, nearly causing a crash, the US military said. In the nighttime interception, the twin-engine Shenyang J-11 fighter approached the US Air Force plane at an "excessive and uncontrolled speed, flying under, in front of, and within 10 feet of the B-52, putting both aircraft in harm's way," the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement issued Thursday evening. "We are concerned that this pilot was unaware of how close he was to causing a collision," the military said.

Former Chinese premier Li Keqiang died of a heart attack in Shanghai. This was reported by state media. Once considered a reformist contender for the country's leadership, Li was 68 years old. An accomplished economist, he held the second highest position in China until his resignation in March this year, although he had been largely isolated among China's top leaders in recent years.

He was the only senior official in office who did not belong to Xi's loyalist group. "Li was seen as a pragmatic leader and encouraged economic reform... unfortunately, his voice was effectively silenced and then ousted and replaced by a Xi loyalist last year," said James M. Zimmerman, a Beijing-based political commentator in a post on X. "Her passing is a significant loss for moderate voices in the party leadership."

US military jets, on orders from Joe Biden, attacked Iranian-backed militant groups in Syria that had struck US troops in the country and in Iraq in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks in Israel. The Pentagon announced this in a note.

EPA/Elvira Urquijo A.

What happened on 26 October 2023