Reuters World News Summary

Boric said he condemned the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the Hamas militant group that killed 1,400 people, and called for the release of Israeli hostages, but added Israel's retaliatory bombardment of Gaza had been disproportionate and was violating international law. French defence minister fears 'untenable situation' for UN peacekeepers in Lebanon France has passed messages to Hezbollah and Israel to not destabilise the United Nations' Lebanon peacekeeping force UNIFIL and said that any broadening of the Hamas-Israel war to Lebanon would plunge the country "into an abyss".

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Blinken will discuss in Israel steps to minimize harm to Gaza civilians

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said he would discuss during a trip to Israel "concrete steps" that should be taken to minimize harm to Gaza civilians amid mounting alarm over soaring casualties in Israel's bombardment of the enclave. Speaking to reporters before departing on his second Middle East trip in less than a month, Blinken said discussions will also focus on the future of Gaza when and if the Palestinian militants of Hamas are defeated, getting more humanitarian aid into Gaza and ways to ensure the conflict does not spread. Securing the release of more than 200 hostages kidnapped by Hamas will be another topic on the trip, Blinken said.

Israel says it has encircled Gaza City

Israeli forces on Thursday encircled Gaza City - the Gaza Strip's main city - in their assault on Hamas, the military said, but the Palestinian militant group resisted their drive with hit-and-run attacks from underground tunnels. The city in the north of the Gaza Strip has become the focus of attack for Israel, which has vowed to annihilate the Islamist group's command structure and has told civilians to flee to the south.

White House suggests 'pauses' in Israel-Hamas conflict to get people out

The White House on Thursday said it was exploring a series of pauses in the Israel-Hamas conflict to help people safely exit Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to get in, but reiterated its opposition to a full ceasefire. National security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that such pauses should be temporary and localized, and insisted they would not stop Israel from defending itself.

Israel cuts Gaza funds from Palestinian tax transfer

Israel said on Thursday it would proceed with a tax revenue transfer to the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the occupied West Bank but would withhold funds bound for Hamas-ruled Gaza, where the PA helps cover public sector wages and pay for electricity. Following a debate over whether to make the transfer as Israel battles Hamas militants in Gaza, the Israeli cabinet said it would also withhold money to offset stipends the PA pays to Palestinian militants and their families.

Amid Acapulco devastation, Mexicans mark Day of the Dead

In the storm-ravaged Mexican coastal city of Acapulco, a candle flickers in the corner of stylist Nelly Valadez's home, where she has set up an altar for Day of the Dead to honor her husband and mother who died of cancer. Hurricane Otis devastated the beach resort last week, leaving around 100 people dead or missing, destroying homes, and severing communications. Like many other residents, Valadez has been left without work and is struggling to find basic necessities.

Arrests of three prominent Turkish reporters stoke free-speech concerns

Free-speech advocates expressed their concerns on Thursday over a widening state crackdown on press freedom in Turkey after the arrests of three high-profile journalists on accusations of "spreading false information". Tolga Sardan and Dincer Gokce were separately detained and charged on Wednesday, Turkish media reported. They were detained under the so-called "disinformation law" that was adopted last year, under which journalists and social media users face up to three years in prison if convicted.

US imposes sweeping new sanctions targeting Russia over war in Ukraine

The United States on Thursday imposed sweeping new measures against Moscow over the war in Ukraine, targeting Russia's future energy capabilities, sanctions evasion and a suicide drone that has been a menace to Ukrainian troops and equipment, among others, in sanctions on hundreds of people and entities. The latest measures target a major entity involved in the development, operation and ownership of a massive project in Siberia known as Arctic-2 LNG, the State Department said in a statement. The project expected to ship chilled natural gas, known as liquefied natural gas to global markets.

Chile's Boric, after condemning Israel over Gaza, raises concerns with Biden

Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who this week condemned Israeli military's air bombardment of Gaza and recalled his envoy to Israel, on Thursday said he told President Joe Biden that Israel's actions were violating international law. Boric said he condemned the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the Hamas militant group that killed 1,400 people, and called for the release of Israeli hostages, but added Israel's retaliatory bombardment of Gaza had been disproportionate and was violating international law.

French defence minister fears 'untenable situation' for UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

France has passed messages to Hezbollah and Israel to not destabilise the United Nations' Lebanon peacekeeping force UNIFIL and said that any broadening of the Hamas-Israel war to Lebanon would plunge the country "into an abyss". France has sought to use its historical relationship with Lebanon to try to defuse tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, but violence has spiked. Some 700 French soldiers are part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) established in 1978 following violence on the Israel-Lebanon border.

Jordan to tell Blinken Israel must immediately stop war on Gaza -official statement

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi will tell U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Amman on Saturday that Israel must end its war on Gaza where he said it was committing war crimes by bombing civilians and imposing a siege. In a foreign ministry statement, Safadi warned that Israel's unreadiness to end the war was pushing the region rapidly towards a regional war that threatened world peace.

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