Gaza/ Ministry of Health reports 87 dead or missing after Israeli attacks
At least 87 people have been killed or are missing after Israeli airstrikes in the northern Gaza Strip overnight and into Sunday, according to the Ministry of Health there. Also, 40 others were injured in the town of Beit Lahiya, one of the first targets of Israel's ground invasion almost a year ago.
Israel has been waging a major operation in northern Gaza for two weeks, saying Hamas has regrouped there. Palestinian officials report that hundreds of people have been killed.
The United States is calling for a cease-fire in Gaza after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week, but neither Israel nor Hamas has shown interest in such a deal after months of failed negotiations in August.
North Korea threatens four EU countries for sanctions monitoring group
North Korea's foreign minister called the new sanctions monitoring group on her country's nuclear program illegal and baseless. Choe Son-hui warned that participating countries "will pay a high price." She condemned the group as a challenge to international justice and a flagrant violation of North Korea's sovereignty.
The group includes the US, Australia, Canada, South Korea, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. It was created after Russia used its veto in the UN Security Council in March, ending monitoring of North Korea's nuclear program by a panel of UN experts, alarming Western states and their allies.
Lebanon/ Israel Defense Forces (IDF) orders evacuation as attacks begin on Hezbollah banking systems
A senior Israeli official stated that the main target of the attacks was the Hezbollah-run al-Qard al-Hassan banking system, which is also used by thousands of ordinary Lebanese citizens. Israel's military has launched more strikes in Lebanon, targeting banks and other financial institutions that support the militant group Hezbollah.
The IDF has issued evacuation warnings for 24 areas, including 14 in the capital Beirut, warning that attacks are expected to continue through the night.
“We will be attacking a large number of targets in the coming hours and more targets later in the night. In the coming days, we will reveal how Iran finances Hezbollah's terrorist activity by using civilian institutions and associations as cover for terrorist activities. We will attack them at night and will update the results of the attack in the coming months,” said IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari.
Israel / Thousands of protesters demand that the Israeli government reach an agreement on the release of hostages with Hamas
During weekly protests against Benjamin Netanyahu's government, relatives of the hostages and their supporters said the moment to negotiate a deal had passed.
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Tel Aviv demanding that Prime Minister Netanyahu sign an agreement to release Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza. During weekly protests against Netanyahu's government, relatives of the hostages and their supporters stressed that it was too late to reach a deal.
"I want the hostages to be released. There is a deal for the release of the hostages and it has been on the table since October 7 of last year. Netanyahu must sign this agreement and then the rest will be sorted out. But the existing hostage release agreement should be signed today," said one of the protesters, Gal Sne.
One of the first proposals for a deal to release the hostages was presented on October 12, 2023, five days after the initial Hamas attack. It demanded the release of all women and children held by Hamas and other Palestinian militants in Gaza, in exchange for the release of all Palestinian women in Israeli prisons, according to Egyptian officials.
