2023-10-15 08:02:55
The Foreign Office has issued a travel warning for Israel. The travel warning also applies to the entire Palestinian territories and Lebanon, said a spokesman for the Foreign Office in Berlin. The crisis team also decided to strengthen the crisis support teams already deployed to the region. There has been a travel warning for the Gaza Strip and some areas in Lebanon for some time.
The Foreign Office also announced that all German citizens on site should register on the Elefand crisis preparedness list, where information will also be provided about exit options. The Federal Foreign Office will support those German citizens and their families who are already in Israel or the Palestinian territories and want to leave to the best of their ability. If the situation deteriorates, the Bundeswehr is also ready for a military evacuation operation.
Because of the war, numerous German citizens have already left Israel. At the request of the Foreign Office, Lufthansa flew four special flights from Tel Aviv to Germany on Thursday and Friday.
According to the Foreign Office, “around 2,800 Germans had been supported to leave the country by land, air and sea” by Friday evening. Two Bundeswehr planes took a total of 80 Germans with them on their return flight from Tel Aviv on Sunday morning.
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All developments in the live ticker:
09:19 a.m. – Army transmitter: Four victims in attack from Lebanon
An Israeli village on the border with Lebanon was fired at with an anti-tank missile from Lebanon, according to Israeli army radio. There were at least four victims. The military did not initially confirm the information, but said that it was responding militarily to a report of an attack on a village.
9:31 a.m. – Blinken: Meeting with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince very productive
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he held a “very productive” meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. A spokesman for Blinken said the encounter lasted almost an hour. “The two reaffirmed their shared commitment to protecting civilians and promoting stability in the Middle East and beyond.”
Blinken emphasized that the US wanted to stop Hamas attacks, ensure the release of all hostages and prevent the conflict from spreading. Salman is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia and one of the most influential and powerful politicians in the region. Blinken is also expected in Egypt later today. The first stop on his Middle East trip was Israel on Thursday. He also visited Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
8:44 a.m. – Israel’s army announces new window for Gaza evacuation
The Israeli army has given another window of opportunity to evacuate civilians in the north of the Gaza Strip towards the south. The Israeli army spokesman published the information in Arabic on The army will not attack this corridor during this period.
Anyone who cares about the safety of their family should head south, the message said. Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip, looks after its own members and their families. There were also reports that Hamas was preventing civilians from fleeing. Israel has repeatedly accused the Islamist organization of using its own population as human shields.
8:25 a.m. – Number of Palestinians killed in Gaza rises to more than 2,300
A week after the start of the war between the Islamist Hamas and Israel, the number of deaths in the Gaza Strip has risen to 2,329. This was announced by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is also under Hamas. More than 9,000 others were injured.
This means that the number of deaths on the Palestinian side within a week is already higher than during the Gaza war in 2014, when 2,250 people died in the coastal strip within 50 days. At that time, 66 Israeli soldiers and five civilians were also killed.
8:12 a.m. – Al-Jazeera office to close in Israel
Israel’s Communications Ministry has proposed closing the local bureau of Arabic news channel Al Jazeera. According to its own statements, the ministry wants to apply for approval from the cabinet. As justification, the ministry accuses the broadcaster, which is financed by Qatar, of helping the radical Islamic Hamas to create anti-Israel sentiment and of exposing Israeli soldiers to potential attacks from the Gaza Strip.
7:46 a.m. – China sends Middle East special envoy to region
China’s special envoy to the Middle East, Zhai Jun, is scheduled to travel to the region next week. Zhai Jun told the state broadcaster CGTN that he wanted to strengthen the coordination of all those involved with a view to a ceasefire, the protection of the civilian population, de-escalation and the promotion of peace talks.
7:35 a.m. – Another Bundeswehr plane landed in Germany with passengers from Israel
Two Bundeswehr planes with passengers flown from Israel have landed in Germany. The first A400M military transporter arrived at the military airfield in Wunstorf, Lower Saxony, early on Sunday morning. According to the Bundeswehr, there were 51 passengers on board. A second transport plane landed there around 7 a.m., as the Bundeswehr announced on the online platform X (formerly Twitter). According to the information, there were 29 passengers on board. At around 5:20 a.m. a third plane took off to enable those wishing to leave Israel to return to Germany.
7:21 a.m. – Blinken is scheduled to meet Saudi Arabia’s crown prince in Riyadh
According to an American government official, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also wants to meet Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of his Middle East trip. The meeting was scheduled for early morning in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Salman is the de facto ruler of the kingdom and one of the most influential and powerful politicians in the region. Blinken is also expected in Egypt later today. The first stop on his trip was Israel on Thursday. He also visited Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Blinken wants to prevent the war between Israel and Hamas from escalating into a larger regional conflict and he wants to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas.
7:11 a.m. – Israel’s army: Another mastermind of the Hamas massacre killed
The Israeli military says it has killed another mastermind of the massacres carried out among Israelis by Hamas attackers. Billal Al Kedra, commander of terrorist units in southern Khan Yunis, was killed in air strikes the evening before, the army said. Other terrorists from Hamas and the militant Palestinian group Islamic Jihad were also killed. Israel’s military had previously reported the deaths of two suspected Hamas masterminds of last weekend’s attacks.
The Israeli military said it attacked more than 100 Hamas military targets in Zaytun, Khan Yunis and western Jabalia. These included operational command centers, military facilities, dozens of anti-tank missile launchers and observation posts. Islamic Jihad command centers were also hit.
7:08 a.m. – Israel: Iran wants to open a second front over Syria
Joschua Sarka, a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official, accuses Iran of wanting to open a second war front by supplying arms to or via Syria. Sarka confirmed corresponding speculations in a post on the short message service X.
6:50 a.m. – Thousands at pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Australia
In Australia, thousands of people took part in demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinians in several cities. One of the largest rallies took place in Sydney. The organizers spoke of 5,000 participants there alone, a Archyde.com employee estimated the number at around 2,000. Demonstrations were also held in Adelaide and Melbourne, where thousands also took to the streets, as “The Guardian Australia” reported. There were no reports of incidents.
06:25 a.m. – Bundeswehr: Another aircraft took off
The Bundeswehr announced on
05:37 a.m. – Bundeswehr plane landed in Germany with passengers from Israel
The first Bundeswehr plane with passengers flown out from Israel has landed in Germany. The A400M military transporter arrived at the military airfield in Wunstorf, Lower Saxony, early on Sunday morning. According to the Bundeswehr, there were 51 passengers on board. A second transport plane with 29 passengers was scheduled to land a little later. “Further flights are in preparation,” the Bundeswehr announced on X (formerly Twitter).
A week after Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel, the Bundeswehr is directly involved in getting German citizens out of Israel – while the army there is preparing a large-scale attack on the Gaza Strip controlled by the militant Islamists. In the past few days, the Foreign Office has already supported around 2,800 German citizens and family members to leave the country.
5:24 a.m. – China is sending mediators to the Middle East next week
Given the threat of escalation in the Middle East following the Hamas attack on Israel, China wants to send a mediator to the region. Chinese envoy Zhai Jun will travel to the conflict region next week to advocate for a ceasefire between Israel and the radical Islamic group Hamas and advance possible peace talks, Chinese state television broadcaster CCTV reported in a video posted on its official online service account on Sunday. The prospect of a “further escalation” of the conflict is “deeply worrying,” Zhai said, according to the broadcaster.
According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Zhai met with Arab League officials in China on Friday. He signaled Beijing’s support for the regional body’s role “in the Palestine question.” Beijing will “make tireless efforts” to “get the Middle East peace process back on track,” Zhai said at the meeting.
02:13 a.m. – Second Bundeswehr machine lands in Israel: 51 Germans on their way back
A second Bundeswehr machine has landed in the country attacked by the Islamist Hamas to bring back German citizens from Israel. An A400M military transporter landed in Tel Aviv on Sunday night at 00:25 a.m. CEST, the Bundeswehr announced on X (formerly Twitter). Meanwhile, the first transport plane with 51 passengers is on its way back to Germany. The plane left Israel the evening before at around 11 p.m. CEST.
A week after the terrorist attacks by Hamas, the Bundeswehr is immediately involved in getting German citizens out of Israel – while the army there is preparing a large-scale attack on the Gaza Strip controlled by the militant Islamists. In the past few days, the Foreign Office has already supported around 2,800 German citizens and family members to leave the country.
01:36 a.m. – USA moves more warships to the eastern Mediterranean
The USA is moving more warships to the eastern Mediterranean in response to the major attack by the Islamist Hamas terrorists in Israel. These included, among others, the aircraft carrier “USS Dwight D. Eisenhower”, the guided missile cruiser “USS Philippine Sea” and the destroyers “USS Mason” and “USS Gravely”, the Pentagon announced on Saturday evening (local time). They should therefore join the ships that have already been relocated to the region. “The increase in U.S. forces signals the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and our resolve,” it said.
The US government had already sent the aircraft carrier “USS Gerald R. Ford” and other warships last week. These have already arrived in the region. Air Force squadrons with their fighter jets were also deployed to the region. The US government had made it clear that the warships should not take part in combat operations, but should only serve as a deterrent. The White House also emphasized that it has no plans to send ground troops to Israel.
1:23 a.m. – Klingbeil: No German passport for anti-Semites and terror sympathizers
According to a media report, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil threatened supporters of the terrorist organization Hamas with expulsion from Germany. According to the newspapers of the “Funke Mediengruppe”, he said in the previously published interview that there must be a democratic consensus in our society that we condemn Hamas’ barbaric terror. Support for terrorism and hatred of Jews stand in the way of naturalization.
According to the preliminary report, Klingbeil also warns against blanket condemning Arabs or Muslims in Germany for Hamas’ terror. “That doesn’t do justice to the diversity in our country. We now have to make sure that we hold our society together,” said Klingbeil. With regard to German support for the Palestinian territories, he says that it is not the Palestinians who are terrorists, Hamas is the terrorists, and many Palestinians are themselves victims of Hamas.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also spoke out in favor of expelling supporters of the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas from Germany. “We will use all legal options to expel Hamas supporters,” the SPD politician told “Bild am Sonntag”.
12:46 a.m. – Biden reiterates US support for protecting civilians in the Gaza Strip
Amid a worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, US President Joe Biden has renewed his support for protecting civilians in the densely populated Palestinian territory. In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden reaffirmed “his support for all efforts to protect the civilian population,” the White House said on Saturday (local time).
In addition, the US President discussed with the Israeli head of government the US’s “coordination with the United Nations, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and other” countries in the region to “ensure that innocent civilians have access to water, food and medical care ” said the statement.
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Against the background of an expected Israeli ground offensive against Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army had asked all civilians in Gaza to leave the city towards the south. The Israeli government had previously ordered the complete closure of the Gaza Strip and the import of fuel, food and drinking water was stopped.
As the White House also announced, Biden also spoke on the phone with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In the conversation, the US President assured the Palestinian Authority of “full support” in its efforts to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, “particularly in Gaza.”
Biden also underlined the “Palestinians’ right to dignity and self-determination,” Washington said. At the same time, however, the US President made it clear to Abbas that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination.
12:31 a.m. – Interior Ministry increases protection for Jewish and Israeli institutions
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) has further strengthened the protection of Jews and Israelis in Germany in view of fears of anti-Semitic attacks. The federal government is taking the increasing danger of solidarity and support actions for Hamas terror very seriously, Faeser told “Bild am Sonntag”. The highest priority is therefore “the protection of Jews in Germany and of Jewish and Israeli institutions.” The protection has therefore been “strengthened again”.
The Interior Minister said it was “terrible” that many families were worried. The signal is all the more important: “We are firmly at your side! We are doing everything we can to protect you.”
According to Faeser, the German security authorities used all legal police and intelligence means against the Islamist scene. On Friday, the interior ministers of the federal states met in a special conference. “All 16 states and the federal government are pulling together here,” said Faeser. In addition, Faeser announced that he would use “all legal options to expel Hamas supporters.”
12:03 a.m. – Aleppo Airport out of service again after Israeli attack
According to Syrian sources, Aleppo airport is out of service again after an Israeli airstrike. The Defense Ministry in Damascus explains that the attack was carried out from the direction of the Mediterranean. There is no statement from the Israeli military. The airport only resumed operations on Saturday after Israeli rocket attacks damaged it and the airport in Damascus.
The capital’s airport has not yet been repaired. According to insiders, the attacks are intended to disrupt Iranian supply lines to Syria, where the Islamic Republic’s influence has recently increased.
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