On Day 4 of the latest Israel-Palestinian war, many countries are grappling with missing and killed nationals in the latest Israel-Palestinian war that has already claimed at least 1,600 lives, and is only expected to escalate.

Here’s the latest:

RAFAH CROSSING TO BE EVACUATED UNDER BOMB THREATS, HAMAS SAYS

The Rafah Crossing administration on the Egyptian side informed the Rafah Crossing crews on the Palestinian side to evacuate the crossing immediately due to threats to bomb the crossing, spokesperson for the Hamas Ministry of Interior and National Security Iyad Al-Bazm said Tuesday.

RUSSIA SAYS IT WILL TALK TO ISRAEL AND PALESTINIANS IN HOPES OF REACHING A SETTLEMENT

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Moscow has been talking to both Israel and the Palestinians to help search for a settlement.

Asked about a claim by the Palestinian ambassador to Moscow that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will visit Moscow soon, Peskov said that the visit had been planned before the war. He added that Moscow will announce the date after it’s finally determined.

Peskov rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s claim that Moscow was interested in fueling the war as “totally baseless.”

WHO SAYS MEDICAL SUPPLIES ARE ALREADY USED UP IN GAZA

GENEVA — The United Nations health agency says the medical supplies that it had pre-positioned in seven hospitals in Gaza have already been used up, as needs balloon in the wake of Israel’s military strike against the militant group Hamas.

Spokesperson Tarik Jazarevic of the World Health Organization told a briefing Tuesday that affiliate hospitals had triggered emergency plans to better manage the surge of casualties, “but with the number of casualties currently coming in, these hospitals are now running beyond their capacity.” He said WHO was reprogramming $1 million of its funds to allow for purchases of medical supplies from the local market to fill gaps in need.

The health agency has already called for a humanitarian corridor to be opened to allow new supplies to be ferried into Gaza.

UN AGENCY FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEES REPORTS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE FROM AIRSTRIKE

BEIRUT — The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, says the building housing its headquarters in Gaza city suffered significant damage because of an airstrike nearby. No casualties among staff were recorded.

UNRWA said Tuesday that all U.N. international staff present in Gaza are taking shelter in another building within the same compound.

Since October 7, UNRWA recorded both collateral and direct damage to at least 18 of its facilities including schools sheltering displaced civilians. It said that until Tuesday, the U.N. estimates that over 187,500 people have been displaced within Gaza, and more than 137,000 people are sheltering in over 80 UNRWA schools across the Gaza Strip.

4 FRENCH CITIZENS HAVE BEEN KILLED BY HAMAS MILITANT ATTACKS IN ISRAEL

PARIS— France’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed the deaths of another two French citizens killed by Hamas militant attacks in Israel, taking the total number of French victims to four.

The ministry said Tuesday that another 13 French citizens are missing and that some of them have “very likely” been kidnapped. The ministry has previously said that a 12-year-old appears to be among those taken captive.

CYPRUS WILL HELP EVACUEES FROM ISRAEL ON THEIR WAY TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus’ Foreign Ministry says the east Mediterranean island nation is now ready to act as a waystation for foreign nationals fleeing Israel.

According to a statement, a crisis management team composed of the ministers of foreign affairs, defense, the interior and justice decided to activate Tuesday a dedicated plan to help evacuees from Israel reach their home countries through Cyprus. That means Cyprus will offer accommodations and other facilities to foreign nationals to help in their repatriation.

European Union member Cyprus’ proximity to the Middle East and Africa has in the past made it a ready transfer point for evacuees from war-torn countries. In April, Cyprus received hundreds of United Kingdom citizens who where evacuated from war-battered Sudan before they returned to Britain. In 2006, Cyprus hosted tens of thousands of foreign nationals fleeing war in Lebanon following Israel’s attack on Hezbollah.

7 JOURNALISTS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN AIRSTRIKES IN GAZA

The Government Media Office in Gaza announced Tuesday that seven journalists have been killed since the beginning of the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza: Ibrahim Lafi, photographer at Ain Media Company; Muhammad Jarghoun, photographer at Smart Media Office; Muhammad Al-Salhi, freelancer; Asaad Shamlikh, freelancer; Saeed Al-Taweel, editor at Alkhamisa News Network; and Muhammad Subh Abu Rizq and Hisham Al-Nawajaha, photographers at Khbr press.

More than 10 journalists have sustained various injuries, and contact was lost with journalists Nidal Al-Wahidi and Haitham Abdel-Wahed.

IRAN REJECTS ALLEGATIONS THAT IT PLAYED A ROLE IN HAMAS ATTACKS

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected allegations Tuesday about his country’s role in Hamas attacks against Israel, but said Iran will continue supporting Palestinians, media reported. It was the first reaction to the war by Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters in the country.

However, Khamenei said, “We defend Palestine, we defend the fights.” He praised Palestinian “capable, smart and courageous” young Palestinians. He said the disaster for Israel came because mistakes by Israel against Palestinians.

AUSTRIA PREPARES TO EVACUATE AUSTRIAN CITIZENS

VIENNA — The Austrian government is preparing to evacuate Austrian citizens who want to leave Israel.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer said during a visit to Ankara, Turkey, that an Austrian air force transport plane will be sent to Cyprus on Wednesday and then to pick up Austrians who want to leave Israel, the Austria Press Agency reported. Once they have arrived in Cyprus, they can continue their journey on scheduled flights. The Foreign Ministry called on Austrians who want to take evacuation flights to register with the embassy in Tel Aviv.

Poland, Hungary and Romania already have flown citizens out of Israel.

THE PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD MILITANT GROUP SAYS 2 MEMBERS WERE KILLED

BEIRUT — The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group announced Tuesday that two of its members were killed by Israeli fire after crossing from Lebanon into Israel on Monday as part of the Hamas-led attack that started over the weekend. Funerals were set to be held in Ein el-Hilweh on Tuesday.

Islamic Jihad said in a statement that seven Israeli soldiers were wounded in Monday’s cross-border operation, while the Israeli army reported that its troops shot and killed several gunmen who crossed into the country from Lebanon. Israel also intensified shelling of southern Lebanon in response to the incident.

ROMANIA REPATRIATES HUNDREDS MORE OF ITS CITIZENS FROM ISRAEL

BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says an additional 596 Romanian citizens were repatriated from Israel overnight on four separate flights. Monday night’s repatriation comes after around 600 people were flown back to Romania over the weekend, bringing the total number to at least 1200 in the past few days after Hamas launched its unprecedented attacks against Israel.

AUSTRIA SUSPECTS 3 OF ITS DUAL CITIZENS ARE AMONG THOSE KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS

VIENNA — The Austrian government says three Austrian-Israeli dual citizens may be among the people kidnapped by Hamas during its attack on Israel.

The Foreign Ministry in Vienna said on Tuesday that the three were in southern Israel independently of each other. It said that there is no official confirmation that they were abducted and noted that the situation on the ground is still very unclear.

Several countries have said their citizens were killed or apparently abducted in the attack.

AID AGENCIES TALK TO EGYPT ABOUT WAYS TO SECURE HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS

CAIRO — The United Nations and other aid agencies were talking with Egypt to send humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza through the Rafah crossing point between the strip and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, an Egyptian official and aid worker said Tuesday. They said Egyptian authorities have contacted Israel and the United States to secure humanitarian corridors in Gaza amid Israel’s unrelenting bombardment of the strip.

Both the official and the aid worker spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief journalists.

The efforts came as Israel sealed it off from food, fuel and other supplies to over 2 million people in Gaza in retaliation for a bloody incursion by Hamas militants.

GAZA’S PARLIAMENT AND CIVILIAN MINISTRIES ARE LEGITIMATE TARGETS, ISRAEL SAYS

In a briefing Tuesday, Israel’s military spokesperson said Gaza’s parliament and civilian ministries were legitimate targets in its offensive against Hamas.

Spokesperson Richard Hecht also said that because Israel’s air force is stretched thin, there might not be the same “level of fidelity” in warning targets before strikes. Asked if Israel considered Hamas’ civil government, such as parliament and ministries, legitimate targets, Hecht said “if there’s a gunman firing rockets from there, it turns into a military target.”

The Israeli military said it had largely gained control in the south and “restored full control” over the border. Spokesperson Richard Hecht said 1,500 bodies of Hamas militants have been found in Israeli territory and no Hamas fighters have crossed into Israel since Monday night, although infiltrations could still be possible.

Hecht said the military struck hundreds of Hamas targets overnight in Gaza’s City Rimal neighborhood, which is home to many of Hamas’ ministries and government buildings. He said residents were being notified over social media before the strikes to evacuate, but did not elaborate further. He suggested that Palestinians should try to leave through the Rafah crossing, though he did not specify where they would go or how they would use the crossing that is periodically closed.

ABOUT 1,500 BODIES OF HAMAS MILITANTS FOUND IN ISRAEL

Israel’s military said about 1,500 bodies of Hamas militants were found in Israeli territory and that it had largely gained control in the country’s south, restoring “full control” over the border on the fourth day of fighting following an unprecedented surprise attack.

Spokesperson Richard Hecht said no Hamas fighters have crossed into Israel recently, although infiltrations could still be possible. Israel has previously reported 900 soldiers and civilians killed, and Palestinian authorities have reported about 700 deaths in Gaza and the West Bank.

JAPAN PLEDGES TO PROTECT CITIZENS IN THE CONFLICT AREA

Japan’s top government spokesperson pledged Tuesday to do the utmost to protect the safety of a small number of Japanese citizens in the conflict area, condemning Hamas and Palestinian militants over their attacks on citizens. Japan is also carefully watching the development out of concern about energy supply. Japan imports more than 90% of its oil from the Middle East.

A FLORIDA VIGIL FOR VICTIMS OF ATTACKS IN ISRAEL ERUPTS IN CHAOS

A vigil for victims of the attacks in Israel at the University of Florida erupted into chaos over a misunderstanding and at least five people were hurt, officials said.

A crowd gathered at the Gainesville campus for the “United With Israel” candlelight vigil when someone fainted and others began calling for people to call 911, the UF Police Department said in a statement. “The call was misunderstood by the crowd, which dispersed in a panic,” the police statement said. Five people were treated at the scene for minor injuries, campus police said.

18 THAIS FEARED DEAD AS THE LATEST ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR REACHES ITS FOURTH DAY

Eighteen Thais are feared dead based on reports from employers, while the numbers of those injured and abducted stand at 9 and 11 in the fourth day of the latest Israel-Hamas war, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kanchana Patarachoke said Tuesday.

She said more than 3,000 Thais have registered for repatriation. The first batch of 15 evacuees is scheduled to board a flight to arrive in Thailand on Thursday. She said Israel told Thailand’s foreign minister that it will try its best to take care of Thai workers.

Thai Ambassador to Israel Pannabha Chandraramya said the embassy is in touch with Israeli authorities about Thai nationals who have been abducted, but has not been informed of their conditions or whereabouts.

HONG KONG WILL MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR CITIZENS SEEKING ASSISTANCE IN ISRAEL

Hong Kong leader John Lee said Tuesday the government had received requests for assistance from 28 Hong Kongers, and 20 of them already left Israel. Authorities will keep in contact with the remaining eight and make arrangements according to their needs, he added.

Lee said in his weekly press briefing that the government issued a red outbound travel alert for Israel, which means people should avoid non-essential travel to the country.

NETANYAHU SAYS ISRAEL’S OFFENSIVE AGAINST HAMAS WILL REVERBERATE FOR GENERATIONS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday that Israel’s fierce offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip has “only started.”

Netanyahu delivered the pronouncement in a nationally televised address as Israel pressed ahead with a third day of heavy airstrikes in Gaza following Hamas’ unprecedented and deadly incursion into Israel.

“We have only started striking Hamas,” he said. “What we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations.”

Israel formally declared war on Sunday. The hostilities so far have killed around 900 people in Israel and more than 680 people in Gaza, according to authorities on each side.

AIRSTRIKE IN GAZA CITY KILLS TWO PALESTINIAN JOURNALISTS

An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City killed two Palestinian journalists early Tuesday, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Wafa identified the journalists as editor Saeed Al-Taweel and photographer Mohammed Sobih. The airstrike occurred close to an area housing several media offices.

Three Palestinian journalists reportedly were shot and killed while reporting in Gaza on Saturday. The Committee to Protect Journalists, citing Palestinian press freedom groups, identified two of them as photographer Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi and reporter Mohammad Jarghoun. CPJ said it confirmed that freelance reporter Mohammad El-Salhi also was killed.

Lafi worked for Ain Media, and Jarghoun reported for Smart Media, CPJ said.

ISRAEL SAYS DEPUTY COMMANDER KILLED IN CLASHES ON BORDER WITH LEBANON

Israel’s military said early Tuesday that a deputy Israeli commander was killed in clashes on the northern border with Lebanon.

The military identified the deputy commander as Alim Abdallah, but did not specify the exact circumstances of his death.

Palestinian militants from the Islamic Jihad group slipped from Lebanon into Israel, sparking Israeli shelling into southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group said five of its members were killed, and it retaliated with a volley of rockets and mortars at two Israeli army bases across the border.

NUMBER OF THOSE DISPLACED IN GAZA SURPASSES 187,000, U.N. OFFICE SAYS

As retaliatory Israeli airstrikes continue, more than 187,500 people have been displaced in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict, according to a report from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, is hosting more than 137,000 people in schools across the territory. The report says airstrikes have razed 790 housing units and severely damaged 5,330 in the territory of 2.3 million people.

OCHA said damage to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in Gaza has disrupted service for more than 400,000 people.

ISRAEL STRIKES TWO TUNNELS USED BY HAMAS MILITANTS, MILITARY SAYS

The Israeli military said early Tuesday that it struck two tunnels used by Hamas militants to enter Israeli territory.

The news came a day after 70 militants infiltrated the Be’eri kibbutz Monday night. The small farming community has been a flashpoint of the conflict — the scene of a hostage standoff during the attack.

Authorities did not immediately provide more information on the location of the tunnels.

The militant group has used tunnels in the past. It has an established a network running from Gaza to Egypt to smuggle in weapons, as well as attack tunnels burrowing into Israel.

AT LEAST 11 US CITIZENS HAVE BEEN KILLED, BIDEN SAYS

At least 11 U.S. citizens have been confirmed dead in the surprise Hamas attacks, U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday.

Biden also said the U.S. government believes it is “likely” that Americans are among those currently being held hostage by Hamas militants, while other U.S. citizens are still unaccounted for after the deadly assault.

“My heart goes out to every family impacted by the horrible events of the past few days,” Biden said in a statement. “The pain these families have endured, the enormity of their loss, and the agony of those still awaiting information is unfathomable.”

He stressed that the State Department is offering assistance for U.S. citizens who are currently in Israel, and air and ground options to leave the country are still available for those who choose to do so. He also said federal law enforcement officials are “closely monitoring” potential domestic threats stemming from the weekend attacks.

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER AT SYNAGOGUE TO SUPPORT ISRAEL

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joined a large crowd gathered for prayer at a London synagogue on Monday to underline his solidarity with Israel.

Addressing the congregation at Finchley United Synagogue in north London, Sunak condemned Hamas’ bloody incursion into Israel on Saturday as “evil.”

“There are not two sides to these events. There is no question of balance. I stand with Israel,” he said. “The United Kingdom stands with Israel against this terrorism today, tomorrow and always.”

He also sought to assure Britain’s Jewish community that he will do everything to protect them amid concerns about the rise of antisemitism.

HUNDREDS OF RIVAL PROTESTERS HOLD RALLIES IN U.S., EUROPE

Thousands of pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters held vocal but peaceful gatherings Monday, at a historic French plaza and outside Israeli embassies in London and Athens, Greece.

Several thousand people rallied in Paris in support of Israel, marching to the Trocadero Plaza overlooking the Eiffel Tower. The monument was lit up in the colors of the Israeli flag, with a white Star of David in the middle, in a gesture of solidarity announced by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

In Athens, an estimated 250 people, mostly Palestinian expatriates and members of Greek left-wing groups, held a peaceful protest outside the Israeli embassy to show solidarity with Palestinians. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans, while a strong police contingent blocked off access to the embassy building.

In London, hundreds chanted “Israel is a terrorist state” and “Free Palestine” and some waved signs calling for Israel to “end the occupation.”

Meanwhile, in the U.S., supporters of Israel and of the Palestinians held competing rallies in several cities, including in New York, where rival protesters shouted at each other near U.N. headquarters amid a massive police presence.

EUROPEAN UNION REVERSES SUSPENSION OF AID TO PALESTINIAN AUTHORITIES

The European Union late Monday reversed an earlier announcement by an EU commissioner that the bloc was immediately suspending aid for Palestinian authorities and instead said it would urgently review such assistance in the wake of the attacks on Israel by Hamas.

“There will be no suspension of payments” at the moment, a terse European Commission statement said late Monday, five hours after EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi had said that all payments from the development program for Palestinians would be immediately suspended.

No immediate explanation for the reversal was given. The reversal on a 691 million-euro ($730 million) program capped an embarrassing day at the EU’s executive at a time of extreme geopolitical sensitivities.

MORE THAN 680 PEOPLE KILLED IN GAZA, HEALTH MINISTRY SAYS

The Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip said Monday that more than 680 people have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory strikes following an unprecedented Hamas attack.

The ministry said more than 3,700 people have been wounded.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since the Saturday attack, striking hundreds of targets and leaving vast destruction.

UN SAYS EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO PREVENT CONFLICT FROM SPREADING

The United Nations says intense diplomatic activity is taking place aimed at ensuring that regional and international leaders are on the same page in trying to prevent the conflict between Israel and Hamas from spreading.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters Monday that he and U.N. Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland are engaging with key parties in the region.

Guterres has spoken to Israel’s president and Jordan’s king and expects to talk to the Palestinian president, Israel’s prime minister, Egypt’s president and Lebanon’s prime minister, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Wennesland has been in touch with his counterparts from the United States, European Union, Qatar, Lebanon and others.

MORE THAN 100 BODIES FOUND IN FARMING COMMUNITY, ISRAEL SAYS

Israeli rescue service Zaka says more than 100 bodies have been recovered from a small farming community that was the scene of a hostage standoff during Hamas’ attack against Israel.

The figure is part of the total 900 reportedly killed in Hamas’ multi-pronged attack. Beeri, a kibbutz, had a population of about 1,000 people before the attack.

BIDEN TO SPEAK WITH ALLIES ON ISRAEL SITUATION, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

U.S. President Joe Biden plans to speak with several allies Monday regarding the situation in Israel, according to the White House.

Earlier Monday, Biden convened a meeting with top national security aides, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer, Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall and White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients.

During that meeting, Biden urged continued coordination with Israel and other regional partners, the White House said.

The White House has called a “lid” for the day, meaning the public won’t lay eyes on the U.S. president until Tuesday.

Biden has spoken at least twice with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the White House says his top national security aides have been in regular contact with their counterparts in the region since the surprise Hamas attack on Saturday.

CHEVRON TO STOP PRODUCTION IN MEDITERRANEAN OFF ISRAEL COAST

American oil giant Chevron Corp. said Monday that at Israel’s instruction it had stopped production at its offshore Tamar natural gas rig in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel.

In a statement announcing the action, the company declined to discuss any security issues and didn’t say why Israel ordered it.

The Tamar field, which went online in 2013, is believed to hold more than 300 billion cubic meters of gas. Chevron and the Israeli-American company Isramco each own around a third of Tamar, with the remainder held by smaller firms.

There have been threats previously against Israel’s offshore oil rigs by militant groups in the region and Lebanon has disputed Israel’s maritime boundaries.

The ongoing fighting in Israel and the Gaza Strip has sparked a jump in crude oil prices, in part over a fear of a wider regional conflict breaking out. Israel and the Palestinian territories don’t produce oil. Benchmark Brent crude traded up Monday to over $87 a barrel.

HEZBOLLAH SAYS 5 MEMBERS KILLED IN ISRAELI SHELLING IN LEBANON

Five members of Hezbollah were killed during Israeli shelling in southern Lebanon, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group announced Monday. The group identified them as Hussam Mohammad Ibrahim, Ali Raef Ftouni, Ali Hudruj, Bilal Madi and Mohammed Mansour.

The first of three statements announcing the deaths shared photos of Ibrahim in military garb posing with an AK-47 assault rifle.

Earlier Monday, the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad said in a statement that it sent four gunmen across Lebanon’s border into Israel as part of the Hamas-led attack that started over the weekend. Israeli Defense Forces reported that its troops shot and killed several gunmen who crossed into the country from Lebanon.

The Lebanese military called on residents of border towns to “take the utmost precautions.” Families in several towns in southern Lebanon started fleeing north as the Israeli shelling continued.

PALESTINIAN DIPLOMAT IN UK SAYS ISRAEL COMMITTING WAR CRIME

The top Palestinian diplomat in the U.K. says Israel is committing a war crime by cutting off water and electricity supplies to Gaza.

Husam Zomlot told a gathering of Palestinian supporters at the Labour Party’s annual conference that Palestinians “need justice, not revenge.”

“And what Israel is doing now is revenge, sheer vengeance.”

The left-of-center Labour Party has been riven in recent years by allegations that antisemitism was allowed to spread under previous leader Jeremy Corbyn, a strong advocate of the Palestinian cause.

Labour’s leadership has strongly condemned Hamas’ weekend attacks, and conference delegates held a minute’s silence for the victims at the conference on Monday.

HAMAS WING WARNS THAT ISRAELI STRIKES WILL BRING HOSTAGE DEATHS

The armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas has warned that it will kill an Israeli hostage every time Israel’s military bombs civilian targets in the Gaza Strip without warning.

Abu Obeida, the spokesman of the Qassam Brigades, said in an audio released Monday night that the threat was a response to intense air strikes by Israel on civilian areas.

“We have decided to put an end to this and as of now, we declare that any targeting of our people in their homes without prior warning will be regrettably faced with the execution of one the hostages of civilians we are holding,” he said.

In a video statement Monday, Israel’s foreign minister warned Hamas against harming any of the hostages who were taken from Israel and being held in Gaza. Eli Cohen said Israel was committed to bringing the hostages home “in the spirit of mutual responsibility.”

“We demand Hamas not to harm any of the hostages, Cohen said. “This war crime will not be forgiven,” he added.

TURKEY’S LEADER HOLDS CALLS WITH PALESTINIAN, ISRAELI PRESIDENTS

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held back-to-back telephone calls with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, according to Erdogan’s press office.

Erdogan and Abbas discussed the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. “President Erdogan stated that Turkey is making every effort to end the conflicts in the region and ensure calm as soon as possible” a statement from his press office said.

EUROPEAN LEADERS AND US PRESIDENT PLAN TO DISCUSS ISRAEL

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he and French President Emmanuel Macron will discuss the situation in Israel with U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak late Monday.

Scholz, who was hosting Macron at a joint German-French Cabinet retreat in Hamburg, called Hamas’ attack on Israel “barbaric.” But he added that Germany, France, the U.S. and the U.K. agree that there must not be a “conflagration” in the region, and “no one should further fuel terror in this situation.”

Macron pledged his “full support and solidarity for Israel.”

INTERNATIONAL AID GROUP WARNS OF ‘UTTER DISASTER’ IN GAZA

The secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, an international aid organization, warns that the Israeli government’s vow to besiege and blockade the Gaza Strip would spell “utter disaster” for the more than 2 million Palestinians living in the small territory.

Jan Egeland’s comments came after Israel’s defense minister ordered a “complete siege” on Gaza after an unprecedented incursion by Hamas fighters into Israel early Saturday. Israel formally declared war on Sunday and has since retaliated against Hamas for the attack.

“If and when it would lead to wounded children dying in hospitals because of a lack of energy, electricity, and supplies, it could amount to war crimes,” Egeland told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Egeland also slammed donor countries for halting humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

FRANCE REPORTS UPTICK IN ANTISEMITIC ACTS

French police have arrested 10 people in connection with antisemitic acts that were reported since the latest fighting between Israel and Hamas militants began.

The 20 reported incidents included threats to synagogues or people frequenting Jewish stores, the interior minister said Monday.

Prosecutors have also opened 44 investigations into antisemitic hate speech online or posts glorifying terrorism in connection with the violence, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin’s office.

While France sees sporadic acts targeting Jews or Muslims, Darmanin said the number of antisemitic incidents since Saturday was ″dramatic.″

France has the world’s largest Jewish population after Israel and the U.S.

UN AGENCY NEAR CAPACITY FOR DISPLACED PALESTINIANS IN GAZA

The U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, says it is near maximum capacity in accommodating internally displaced people in Gaza.

The agency’s director of external communications, Tamara Alrifai, said Monday that nearly 137,000 people have sheltered so far in over 70 U.N. schools around Gaza. Alrifai said the agency can host up to 150,000 people at up to 79 schools around the territory.

She added there is fuel in Gaza that could last for up to 10 days.

ARAB LEAGUE SCHEDULES MEETING AT REQUEST OF PALESTINIANS

Arab foreign ministers plan to convene Wednesday in Cairo for a meeting on the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant groups in Gaza.

Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki said the ministers would discuss Arab efforts to “stop the Israeli aggression” on Gaza.

The meeting was called by the Palestinians.

STATE DEPARTMENT: 9 AMERICANS ARE AMONG THE DEAD IN ISRAEL

The U.S. State Department said Monday that at least nine American citizens have been killed in the weekend Hamas attacks on Israel, raising the toll from four.

The State Department says an undetermined number of American citizens remain missing and unaccounted for. It is not clear whether the missing had been taken hostage, were killed or are in hiding.

The State Department is in touch with families “and providing all appropriate consular assistance,” spokesman Matthew Miller said.

INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES SUSPEND FLIGHTS TO ISRAEL

Major U.S. airlines have suspended flights to Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas.

American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines suspended service as the U.S. State Department issued travel advisories for the region, citing potential for terrorism and civil unrest.

EgyptAir, Egypt’s national carrier, suspended its flights to Israel until further notice, Cairo airport officials said. EgyptAir normally operates a daily flight between Cairo International Airport and Ben Gurion International Airport, just outside Tel Aviv.

Germany’s Lufthansa and its subsidiaries also suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until Saturday as fighting between Israel and Hamas continued.

SURVIVORS RECOUNT HORROR OF ATTACK AT ISRAELI MUSIC FESTIVAL

An open-air electronic music festival will go down in Israeli history as the site of the country’s worst civilian massacre after paramedics recovered at least 260 bodies from a field near the border with Gaza.

The Tribe of Nova festival brought together thousands of young people to dance and revel in the swirl of bass-heavy beats. Dozens of Hamas militants who had blown through Israel’s heavily fortified separation fence and crossed into the country from Gaza opened fire on the Israelis.

“We were hiding and running, hiding and running, in an open field, the worst place you could possibly be in that situation,” said Arik Nani from Tel Aviv, who had gone to the party to celebrate his 26th birthday. “For a country where everyone in these circles knows everyone, this is a trauma like I could never imagine.”

REPORT: EGYPT SEEKS ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PRISONER TRADE

Egypt has engaged in negotiations with Israel and Palestinian militant groups to release Palestinian women in Israel’s prisons in exchange for Israeli women captured by Hamas militants, the state-owned Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported Monday.

The daily paper quoted an unidentified source as saying that the negotiations were aimed at finalizing an agreement on the trade.

Palestinian militant groups have claimed to be holding over 130 people who were captured in Israel in the past two days. Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua told The Associated Press by phone that the group’s fighters had captured more Israelis as recently as Monday morning.

ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER ORDERS ‘COMPLETE SIEGE’ OF GAZA STRIP

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said authorities would cut electricity to Gaza and block the entry of food and fuel there as part of a “complete siege” he ordered.

The announcement on Monday came as Israel’s military scoured the country’s south for Hamas fighters and guarded breaches in its border fence with tanks, while it pounded the Gaza Strip from the air.

Israel and Egypt have imposed various levels of blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.

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 deescalate 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 normalized ties with Tel Aviv as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.