LIVE – War in the Middle East: the UN denounces an “apocalyptic” situation in the north of Gaza, where all the inhabitants run the “imminent risk of dying”

The situation in northern Gaza is “apocalyptic”, according to the heads of UN agencies. The situation in northern Gaza is “apocalyptic” and all of its inhabitants run “imminent risk of death”, according to the heads of major UN humanitarian agencies. “The entire Palestinian population in northern Gaza is at imminent risk of death from disease, famine and violence,” write the 15 signatories, who demand that “the State of Israel ceases its assault on Gaza and against humanitarian workers.”

Hamas refused to consider a proposal for a short truce. Hamas refused to consider a proposal for a short truce in the war in the Gaza Strip from mediating countries because it did not satisfy “the needs of the Palestinians”, a leader of the Islamist movement said this Friday. A Hamas delegation received the proposal during a meeting Monday in Doha with representatives of Egypt and Qatar. It included the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged territory and a limited exchange of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel for hostages held in Gaza. But “the proposal does not include a permanent cessation of aggression nor the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip nor the return of displaced people” by the fighting which has lasted for more than a year, he said, reiterating the conditions set by Hamas for a cease-fire.

At least ten dead in Israeli strikes on eastern Lebanon. At least ten people were killed this Friday in Israeli raids targeting two localities in the Baalbek-Hermel region in eastern Lebanon, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced, as the Israeli army continued its massive bombardments on the strongholds of Hezbollah. In a “preliminary assessment”, the Ministry of Health reports “raids by the Israeli enemy” who killed eight people in the village of Amhaz, and two others in the village of Charawna. Throughout the day, the Lebanese national information agency (Ani) reported strikes on several sectors of the east, which had not been preceded by calls to evacuate from the Israeli army.

Air raid on a building in the city of Tyre, in southern Lebanon. An air raid targeted a building in Tyre, a coastal city in southern Lebanon, this Friday, noted a photographer working with AFP. The strike hit a building on the seafront which collapsed in a cloud of smoke, with rescuers working in the area to remove victims from the rubble, according to the photographer. It was not preceded by an evacuation order from the Israeli army, which says it is targeting Hezbollah.

Resumption of the polio vaccination campaign on Saturday in Gaza. The head of the WHO announced this Friday on X that the polio vaccination campaign could resume on Saturday, November 2. “Polio vaccination in northern Gaza is set to resume tomorrow. We are assured of the necessary humanitarian pause in Gaza City to carry out the campaign.”writes Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the social network

A “great danger” for ancient sites in Lebanon. “Ancient Phoenician cities, steeped in history, are in great danger of being left in ruins”lamented the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, on “Lebanon’s cultural heritage must not be another victim of this devastating conflict”she insisted.

First shipment of French humanitarian aid to Lebanon. Lebanon received on Friday thirty tonnes of emergency humanitarian aid sent by France and intended for displaced people who had fled their homes. Plane lands at Beirut airport, first in series of organized flights “in cooperation with the European Union”pour “realize all the announcements made at the time of the conference” of October 24 in Paris, indicated the French ambassador to Lebanon, Hervé Magro, from the airport. “These are tents, blankets, health kits, in particular (…) for the displaced people who are in the mountains, since we know that unfortunately bad weather is coming,” he added.

WHO denounces Israeli attacks on health services in Lebanon. The World Health Organization (WHO) said this Friday:deeply worried» attacks carried out by the Israeli army against health services in its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. “We emphasize again and again that health care is not a target“, declared Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the organization, during a press briefing in Geneva.

In Lebanon, the town of Baalbeck again targeted by the Israeli army. The Lebanese news agency Ani reported this Friday an Israeli raid on a neighborhood of Baalbeck, a large city in eastern Lebanon targeted by strikes in recent days. “Enemy aircraft raided al-Zahraa neighborhood in Baalbeck city», Specified the agency. The strike was not preceded by a call to evacuate from the Israeli army addressed to residents of the city, which is home to Roman ruins listed as UNESCO world heritage sites.

The United States has called on Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire with Israel. According to Lebanese sources cited by the Reuters agency, the United States asked Lebanon, through its envoy Amos Hochstein, to declare a unilateral ceasefire in order to facilitate negotiations. Beirut, however, did not follow through, as such a move could amount to capitulation.

In the Gaza Strip, 47 Palestinians killed by Israeli bombings overnight. 47 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others injured, mostly children and women, by Israeli bombings that occurred overnight from Thursday to Friday in the central Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian News Agency WAFA. The attacks took place in the town of Deir Al-Balah, the Nuseirat camp and the town of Al-Zawayda. The Israeli army, for its part, declared that its troops had identified and eliminated “several armed terrorists» in the center of the enclave and that they had eliminated “dozens of terrorists» during targeted raids in the Jabalia area, in the north of the territory.

Lebanese Prime Minister denounces Israeli “refusal” of ceasefire. For Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Israel does not want the ceasefire that American emissaries came to negotiate this week, and the “extension” of its strikes against Lebanon proves it. “The extension, once again, of the aggression of the Israeli enemy against the Lebanese regions (…) and the fact that he once again targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut with destructive raids, are all indicators which confirm his refusal of all efforts made to obtain a ceasefire“, he declared in a press release this Friday.

Four Thais killed in Israel by rocket fired from Lebanon. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa announced this Friday morning that four Thai nationals had been killed in Israel by a rocket fired from Lebanon. On the social networkdeeply saddened» by these deaths which occurred the day before near the border town of Metula. Another Thai citizen was injured in the attack.