Updates | Israel taking 'significant military steps' in response to Hamas attack

Israel says it has brought in special forces to try to wrest control of four sites from Hamas fighters in response to the militant group's unprecedented incursion into Israel.

Israel formally declared war on Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas for the surprise attack a day earlier. The Israeli military has tried to crush fighters still in southern towns and intensified its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. More than 1,100 people have been killed and thousands wounded on both sides.

The fighting continued in several locations Monday morning.

AUSTRIA TO FREEZE DEVELOPMENT AID FOR PALESTINIAN AREAS Austria's foreign minister says his country will freeze development aid for the Palestinian areas following the attack by Hamas on Israel. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told Oe1 radio on Monday that all development aid payments will be “put on ice for now” and that the affected funds are worth around 19 million euros (USD 20 million).

Schallenberg also said he will summon Iran's ambassador to the Austrian Foreign Ministry on Monday to complain about the country's “abhorrent reactions” to the Hamas attack.

On Sunday, Germany's development minister said her country would review its financial aid for the Palestinian areas. Her ministry put the amount currently pledged at 250 million euros (USD 265 million) and said no payments are currently being made.

EGYPT AND UAE LEADERS DISCUSS NEED FOR JUST AND PERMANENT PEACE The leaders of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates on Monday discussed the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed on “the importance of … advancing diplomatic efforts that aim to de-escalate violence, protect civilians, spare blood,” a statement from the Egyptian president's office said. Such efforts should include establishing “a comprehensive, just and permanent peace,” it added.

Egypt was the first Arab country to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in the 1970s, and shares borders with both Gaza and Israel.

The UAE normalised ties with Tel Aviv as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. The Arab Gulf nation has frayed ties with Hamas.

NEARLY 600 ROMANIANS REPATRIATED FROM ISRAEL IN 2 DAYS Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says 245 Romanian citizens including two groups of pilgrims have been repatriated from Israel on two separate flights by a commercial carrier. The repatriation on Sunday came after 346 were also flown back to Romania over the weekend, bringing the total number in the past two days to nearly 600 after Hamas launched its unprecedented attacks against Israel.

HAMAS WANTS TO 'LIBERATE ALL PALESTINIAN PRISONERS,' IT SAYS Hamas wants to “liberate all Palestinian prisoners” from Israel and end Israeli provocations in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, particularly at Al-Aqsa Mosque, a spokesman for the militant group said Monday.

Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua told The Associated Press over the phone that Hamas militants were still fighting Israeli forces and had captured more Israelis on Monday morning.

“We are in an open battle to defend our people and the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” he said. “This battle is linked to the liberation of all Palestinian prisoners and the cessation of this fascist government's activities in Jerusalem.” He said the group has captured “a large number of Israelis” in Gaza, without giving a specific figure. He said Hamas' military wing, al-Qassam, would announce the figures later.

HUNGARIAN AIR FORCE BRINGS MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE OUT OF ISRAEL Two Hungarian air force planes carrying 215 people from Israel arrived in Budapest early Monday, according to posts by Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Facebook.

“We thank the authorities of Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania for their cooperation in the swift issuance of the necessary permits for flights,” the foreign minister wrote.

Earlier, Szijjarto said in a video on Facebook that there were 400 Hungarian citizens in Israeli territory, but that there were no known Hungarians who had been killed or injured in the Hamas attacks.

EGYPTAIR SUSPENDS FLIGHTS TO ISRAEL EgyptAir, Egypt's national carrier, suspended its flights to Israel on Monday amid fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, Cairo airport officials said.

The flights between Cairo and Tel Aviv are suspended until further notice, said two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media. EgyptAir normally operates a daily flight between Cairo International Airport and Ben Gurion International Airport, just outside Tel Aviv.

Many carriers suspended flights to and from Israel following the unprecedented attack by the Hamas militant group, which rules Gaza, Israeli media reported.

12 THAI NATIONALS KILLED IN ISRAEL FOLLOWING HAMAS ATTACK Twelve Thai nationals have died in Israel following Hamas' attack, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kanchana Patarachoke said Monday. Eleven others were taken hostage and eight were injured. The numbers, based on reports from workers and employers in the area, were still awaiting confirmation from Israeli authorities, Kanchana said.

Around 5,000 Thai workers are in the areas around the Gaza Strip, and some have been evacuated to safer areas, the spokesperson said, adding that Thailand's air force is preparing planes for an evacuation whenever the situation allows. Many Thais work on farms in Israel.

ISRAEL MOVES TO PROP UP ITS CURRENCY AMID MARKET UNCERTAINTY Israel's central bank says it will sell up to USD 30 billion in foreign exchange to prop up the country's shekel currency following market uncertainty in the wake of Hamas' incursion from the Gaza Strip.

The central bank issued a statement Monday morning announcing the plan, saying it “will operate in the market during the coming period in order to moderate volatility in the shekel exchange rate and to provide the necessary liquidity for the continued proper functioning of the markets.” It added it would provide additional liquidity of up to USD 15 billion in the market as well.

The shekel has fallen to a near eight-year low against the US dollar in early trading Monday.

SCHUMER CRITICIZES CHINA FOR NOT SUPPORTING ISRAEL AFTER HAMAS ATTACK Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told China's foreign minister on Monday that he was very disappointed by Beijing's statement on the recent Hamas attack because it didn't show any sympathy or support for Israel.

“I urge you and the Chinese people to stand with the Israeli people and condemn these cowardly and vicious attacks,” Schumer, who is leading a delegation of six senators to China, told Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang, who spoke before Schumer in their opening remarks, did not respond before journalists were escorted out of the room.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement on Sunday called on both sides to exercise restraint and immediately end the hostilities. It said that establishing an independent state of Palestine is the fundamental way to resolve the issue.

EL SALVADOR PRESIDENT, WHO HAS PALESTINIAN ANCESTRY, CALLS HAMAS CRIMINALS El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who has Palestinian ancestry, decried Hamas on Sunday after its attack on Israel.

“The best thing that could happen to the Palestinian people is for Hamas to completely disappear. Those savage beasts do not represent the Palestinians,” Bukele said on the social network X, previously known as Twitter. “Anyone who supports the Palestinian cause would make a great mistake siding with those criminals.” He also compared Hamas to the MS-13 gang, which has terrorized El Salvador for years.

10 NEPALIS KILLED IN VIOLENCE IN ISRAEL Ten Nepali nationals have been killed in fighting in Israel and at least one more is missing, Nepal's Foreign Ministry said. An unknown number of others were wounded in the violence, it added. Efforts were being made to return the bodies to Nepal and embassy officials were also trying to help citizens who want to leave the country.

US GIVING ISRAEL ALL THE HELP IT NEEDS, SCHUMER SAYS US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says senators were briefed by senior State Department and Pentagon officials and given assurances that the United States was giving Israel “everything they need.” “I asked the representatives of our Defence Department if they are giving Israel everything they need, and I was heartened that they said yes and that they are surging support,” Schumer said in a statement after Sunday evening's unclassified briefing.

“I asked them if they have denied any requests that Israel has made, and they said no. I urged them to ensure Israel has everything it needs to protect itself, and reiterated that the Senate stands ready to deliver on additional needs,” he said.

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced earlier Sunday that the US was sending a host of military ships and aircraft to the region. He also said it was providing the Israeli defense forces with additional equipment, including munitions.

INDONESIA EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT ESCALATING CONFLICT Indonesian officials are urging an end to the fighting between Hamas and Israel and blaming the occupation of the Palestinian territories for the conflict.

The world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel and there is no Israeli embassy in the country. It has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinians, and President Joko Widodo has condemned the airstrikes that Israel has launched in response to Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel on Saturday.

“The occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel, as the root of the conflict, must be resolved, according to the parameters agreed upon by the UN,” said the statement from Indonesia's foreign ministry.

The ministry also said the government continues to monitor the situation of its 13 nationals residing in the Gaza area.

US SENATOR CORY BOOKER SAYS HE WAS IN ISRAEL AT TIME OF ATTACK Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey was in Israel when Hamas attacked Israel, he announced Sunday in a video statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.

Booker said he was jogging in the Old City of Jerusalem on Saturday when he received a call from his chief of staff telling him to return to his hotel immediately. He sheltered in the stairwell of his hotel with other guests. Booker wrote that he is now safe. It is unclear if he has returned to the US.

“We who believe in peace and freedom and human rights for Palestinians, for Israelis, for all humankind must reject those who use terror as their weapon,” Booker said. MORE THAN 123,000 GAZANS NOW DISPLACED, UNITED NATIONS SAYS The United Nations says the number of displaced Gazans has risen to more than 123,000 as a result of the fighting between the Israeli military and Hamas following the militant group's unprecedented attack on Israel.

As of late Sunday, retaliatory Israeli airstrikes had destroyed 159 housing units across Gaza and severely damaged 1,210 others, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said a school sheltering more than 225 people took a direct hit. It did not say where the fire came from.

Several Israeli news outlets, citing rescue service officials, said at least 700 people have been killed in Israel, including 44 soldiers. The Gaza Health Ministry said 413 people, including 78 children and 41 women, were killed in the territory. About 2,000 people have been wounded on each side. An Israeli official said security forces have killed 400 militants and captured dozens more.

ISRAEL WANTS TO REMOVE HAMAS FROM POWER, MILITARY SPOKESPERSON SAYS One of Israel's goals as it battles Hamas fighters is to remove the militant group from power in the Gaza Strip, a military spokesperson said Monday.

Jonathan Conricus made the statement in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. His words appeared to go further than those of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu said Sunday that his security cabinet had made the decision to destroy Hamas' ability to govern in a way that posed a threat to Israeli civilians.

A thousand Hamas militants took part in the initial, unprecedented attack on Israel on Saturday, Conricus said.

“It is by far the worst day in Israeli history,” Conricus said.

UN SECURITY COUNCIL MEETS, TAKES NO ACTION ON US DEMAND The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting behind closed doors Sunday to address the unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel, during which the US demanded that all 15 members strongly condemn the incursion. The council didn't take immediate action on the request. US deputy ambassador Robert Wood said after the meeting that “a good number of countries,” but not all, denounced Saturday morning's attack. He said the support of at least one member could be counted out.

Russia's UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told The Associated Press that the US was trying to say at the meeting that Russia isn't condemning the attacks, but “that's untrue.” “It was in my comments,” Nebenzia said. “We condemn all the attacks on civilians.” He said Russia's message is: “It's important to stop the fighting immediately, to go to a cease-fire, and to meaningful negotiations which were stalled for decades.” China's UN ambassador, Zhang Jun, expressed a similar position as he headed into the meeting. But Wood said the international community must strongly condemn “this unprovoked invasion and the terrorist attacks” until Hamas ends its “violent terrorist activity against the Israeli people.”

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)