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Blinken arrives in Turkey for Gaza talks as US sends submarine to Middle East Israeli troops encircle Gaza City and expected to enter in force within 48 hours
(about 3 hours later)
US secretary of state to talk to foreign minister Hakan Fidan in latest stop of diplomatic tour as US nuclear-powered submarine heads through Suez canal Gaza severed into two parts, says Israel, as US sends missile-carrying submarine to Middle East
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has arrived in Turkey amid volatile scenes ahead of talks on Gaza as the US military took the rare step of announcing it had sent a nuclear-powered submarine to the region. The Israeli military says it has completely encircled Gaza City after over a week of heavy fighting, effectively severing the territory into two.
Police in Turkey used teargas and water cannon to disperse hundreds of protesters who marched on an air base housing US forces in Turkey’s south-east hours before Blinken’s arrival on Sunday ahead of Monday’s talks in Ankara with foreign minister Hakan Fidan. Moving under the cover of intensive aerial bombardments on Sunday night from air, land and sea – accompanied by a communications blackout – Israeli troops moved to surround Gaza as Hamas militants were reported to have pulled back to prepared positions deeper in the dense urban sprawl.
“Today there is north Gaza and south Gaza,” R Adm Daniel Hagari said, calling it a “significant stage” in Israel’s war against the Hamas militant group ruling the territory. Israeli media reported that troops were expected to enter Gaza City in force within the next 48 hours.
The latest moves on the ground were accompanied with mounting speculation over the kind of fighting that would unfold in Gaza City’s streets, amid suggestions that the Israel Defence Forces would try to avoid costly warfare within Hamas’s tunnel system.
The siege of Gaza City came as it was claimed that the US had indicated that it would intervene militarily if Iran and Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Hamas, announcing it had sent an Ohio-class guided missile-carrying submarine to the region.
The New York Times quoted officials as saying the White House had also sent messages to Iran and Hezbollah that the US would be prepared to intervene militarily if attacks were launched against Israel. On Sunday, the US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, reiterated the US position that it was committed to deterring “any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this conflict”.
In another sign of widening unrest, a Palestinian man stabbed and wounded two members of Israel’s paramilitary border police in east Jerusalem before being shot dead, according to police
Amid mounting diplomatic efforts by the US to secure a humanitarian pause in the fighting, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, arrived in Turkey for talks in Ankara with the foreign minister, Hakan Fidan.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan himself plans to travel across Turkey’s remote north-east on Monday in an apparent snub of Washington’s top diplomat. Blinken has supported Israel while trying to assure regional players that Washington is focused on relieving humanitarian suffering amid the ongoing ground offensive in Gaza.President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan himself plans to travel across Turkey’s remote north-east on Monday in an apparent snub of Washington’s top diplomat. Blinken has supported Israel while trying to assure regional players that Washington is focused on relieving humanitarian suffering amid the ongoing ground offensive in Gaza.
Erdoğan said on Sunday it was “Turkey’s duty” as a supporter of an independent Palestinian state to immediately stop the violence.Erdoğan said on Sunday it was “Turkey’s duty” as a supporter of an independent Palestinian state to immediately stop the violence.
Late on Sunday, US Central Command, which covers the Middle East, said on Twitter that an Ohio-class nuclear missile submarine had arrived in the region – an unusual public announcement of a nuclear submarine’s position that was seen by users of the platform as a message to Iran. Tensions increased with Lebanon on Sunday after an Israeli strike on a car in the south of the country killed three children and their grandmother, Lebanese authorities said.
It did not identify the submarine, but included a picture that appeared to show it powering through the Suez canal.
The New York Times quoted officials as saying the White House had also sent messages to Iran and Hezbollah that the US would be prepared to intervene militarily if attacks were launched against Israel. On Sunday, defence secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated the US position that it was committed to deterring “any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this conflict”.
Tensions meanwhile increased with Lebanon on Sunday after an Israeli strike on a car in the south of the country killed three children and their grandmother, Lebanese authorities said.
Israel’s chief military spokesperson said the military had attacked “terrorist targets of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon” in response to a missile attack against tanks that killed an Israeli citizen.Israel’s chief military spokesperson said the military had attacked “terrorist targets of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon” in response to a missile attack against tanks that killed an Israeli citizen.
Blinken’s visit follows a whirlwind tour of the Middle East that included an unannounced visit to the West Bank for talks with Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas on Sunday. The US diplomat has been facing a chorus of Arab calls to support an immediate ceasefire. Foreign ministers from Qatar, Saudi, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates met Blinken in Amman on Saturday and also urged him to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire. Blinken also visited Iraq on Sunday and held talks with the prime minister, Mohammed al-Sudani. Blinken’s visit follows a whirlwind tour of the Middle East that included an unannounced visit to the West Bank for talks with Palestinian Authority president, Mahmud Abbas, on Sunday.
The US diplomat has been facing a chorus of Arab calls to support an immediate ceasefire. Foreign ministers from Qatar, Saudi, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates met Blinken in Amman on Saturday and also urged him to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire. Blinken also visited Iraq on Sunday and held talks with the prime minister, Mohammed al-Sudani.
The latest manoeuvres come amid continued concerns for civilians inside Gaza, as the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said they had divided the besieged coastal strip into two and the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported “unprecedented bombardment” by Israel.The latest manoeuvres come amid continued concerns for civilians inside Gaza, as the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said they had divided the besieged coastal strip into two and the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported “unprecedented bombardment” by Israel.
Jordan’s military air-dropped urgent medical aid to a Jordanian field hospital in Gaza early on Monday, according to a social post from Jordan’s king and reports in state media. “This is our duty to aid our brothers and sisters injured in the war on Gaza. We will always be there for our Palestinian brethren,” King Abdullah said.Jordan’s military air-dropped urgent medical aid to a Jordanian field hospital in Gaza early on Monday, according to a social post from Jordan’s king and reports in state media. “This is our duty to aid our brothers and sisters injured in the war on Gaza. We will always be there for our Palestinian brethren,” King Abdullah said.
Late on Sunday, IDF Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters, “Today there is north Gaza and south Gaza”, calling it a “significant stage” in Israel’s war against the Hamas militant group ruling the enclave. The World Health Organization director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he was “very concerned” about the reports of connectivity outages in Gaza, as well as “heavy bombardments” of the territory and called for all channels of communication to be restored immediately.
Israeli media reported that troops are expected to enter Gaza City within 48 hours. Strong explosions were seen in northern Gaza after nightfall and a communications blackout was reported by internet access advocacy group NetBlocks.org and confirmed by Palestinian telecom company Paltel. “Without connectivity, people who need immediate medical attention cannot contact hospitals and ambulances,” he said.
World Health Organization director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesushas said he was “very concerned” about the reports of connectivity outages in Gaza, as well as “heavy bombardments” of the territory and called for all channels of communication to be restored “immediately”. “Without connectivity, people who need immediate medical attention cannot contact hospitals and ambulances,” he said.
In a rare joint statement, the heads of the UN’s major humanitarian agencies as well as international charities called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza, calling the situation “horrific” and “unacceptable”.In a rare joint statement, the heads of the UN’s major humanitarian agencies as well as international charities called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza, calling the situation “horrific” and “unacceptable”.
While condemning Hamas’ 7 October attack on Israel, the heads of Unicef, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) and Save the Children among others said, “the horrific killings of even more civilians in Gaza is an outrage, as is cutting off 2.2 million Palestinians from food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel.” While condemning Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel, the heads of Unicef, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) and Save the Children among others said, “the horrific killings of even more civilians in Gaza is an outrage, as is cutting off 2.2 million Palestinians from food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel”.
The UN said Sunday that 88 staff members from its Palestinian refugees agency have been reported killed, which it said was “the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict”. The UN said Sunday that 88 staff members from its Palestinian refugees agency had been reported killed, which it said was “the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict”.
The Hamas-run health ministry said at least 9,770 people had been killed in more than four weeks of war in Gaza. The operation started after the militants killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and took more than 240 hostages in the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.The Hamas-run health ministry said at least 9,770 people had been killed in more than four weeks of war in Gaza. The operation started after the militants killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and took more than 240 hostages in the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.
A spokesman for Israel’s military told CNN late on Sunday that bombardments in northern Gaza were halted for several hours for two days in a row to allow civilians safe passage to move to the south of the narrow coastal strip. A spokesman for Israel’s military said that bombardments in northern Gaza were halted for several hours for two days in a row to allow civilians safe passage to move to the south of the narrow coastal strip.
“Not only are we telling them where to go, but we’re also helping and creating much better humanitarian conditions in the south,” Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said, without indicating whether such pauses would continue. “Not only are we telling them where to go, but we’re also helping and creating much better humanitarian conditions in the south,” Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said, without indicating whether such pauses would continue.
Conricus said there was access to water and humanitarian goods in the south of Gaza, but Hamas was impeding convoys by firing on them.Conricus said there was access to water and humanitarian goods in the south of Gaza, but Hamas was impeding convoys by firing on them.
US vice-president Kamala Harris will call foreign leaders later on Monday to discuss the conflict and advance White House efforts to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, her office said. The US vice-president, Kamala Harris, will call foreign leaders later on Monday to discuss the conflict and advance White House efforts to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, her office said.
US CIA director William Burns has reportedly arrived in Israel to discuss the war and intelligence with senior officials, the New York Times reported. Burns also will make stops in other Middle East countries to discuss the Gaza situation, the Times quoted an unnamed US official. The CIA director, William Burns, has reportedly arrived in Israel to discuss the war and intelligence with senior officials, the New York Times reported. Burns also will make stops in other Middle East countries to discuss the Gaza situation, the Times quoted an unnamed US official as saying.