FRANCE CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE GAZA CEASEFIRE AND DEMANDS THAT ISRAEL EXPLAINS THEIR STRIKE ON RAFAH

 France's foreign minister has called for an "immediate and durable" truce, saying "too many civilians are being killed".The UK and Germany have also jointly called for ceasefire, "but only if it is sustainable" in the long-term

1. France also demands Israel explain an air strike that killed a French foreign ministry staff member along with numerous other civilians
2. On Saturday Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said military pressure was necessary to underpin hostage negotiations
3. Netanyahu indicated that talks are under way to recover Israelis held in Gaza, with reports suggesting that Qatar and Egypt are involved in negotiations.
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5. In Gaza, the WHO says it's delivered medicines and supplies to Al-Shifa Hospital which it says is "minimally functional" and "in need of resuscitation"
6. Hamas broke through Israel's heavily guarded perimeter on 7 October, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages - some of whom were released during a brief truce
7. The health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, says more than 18,700 people have been killed and 50,000 injured in the enclave since the start of the Gaza war.DF says missiles fired from Lebanon towards Israel

   The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said that a number of missile launches hace been identified from Lebanese territory, heading towards the areas of Arab al-Aramshe, Sasa, and Dovev in northern Israel.

   The IDF says that artillery has targeted the sources of the attacks in Lebanon.

   The Israeli military added that a number of launches from Lebanon, which did not cross into Israeli territory, were also identified.

   The IDF also says that it struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in Lebanon.

8. Netanyahu says no to ceasefire as pressure mounts from Western nations

   Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed his opposition to a ceasefire in Gaza despite increasing international pressure.

   Netanyahu insisted he had backing from Israelis to continue the ground offensive in Gaza, saying that he had received a letter from the family of a soldier killed in the fighting.

   He quoted lines from the letter which read, "you have a mandate to fight, you do not have a mandate to stop in the middle.”

   His comments follow calls for an immediate truce from France's foreign minster who is currently in Israel and a joint article by the UK and German foreign ministers which calls for a "sustainable" ceasefire.

9. France says immediate truce would advance a political solution to the war

   

   AFPCopyright: AFP

   French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has said that France believes an "immediate truce is necessary" in the Israel-Gaza war.

   She added that this will allow "progress to be made towards a ceasefire to obtain the release of the hostages".

   Colonna also added that this will allow more humanitarian aid to get through to those suffering in Gaza and move towards the beginning of a "political solution".

   "We must now think about what will follow the day after and the return of a political horizon to deal with this conflict."

   Colonna has also spoke about the recent attacks against shipping vessels in the Red Sea by Houthui rebels in Yemen, saying they "cannot go unanswered" and that they are "studying several solutions".

10. FULL ACCOUNTS OF THE ABOVE STORIES PLUS MANY MORE UPDATES AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67732895

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