TRANSCRIPT
United States President Joe Biden has issued a spending request to Congress for over AUS$22 billion in aid for Israel and also Ukraine.
In a rare Oval Office address, he told the American public he's asked Congress to pass a supplemental spending bill quickly, as the U-S responds to the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants.
This comes after a visit to Israel on Wednesday in which President Biden reaffirmed U-S solidarity with Israel.
Mr Biden also cautioned against the rise of hate incidents in the United States and other parts of the world due to the conflict.
"Jewish families worried about being targetted in school wearing symbols of their faith walking down their street, or going out about their daily lives. And I know many of you in the Muslim American community, Arab American community and Palestinian American community and so many other are outraged and saying here we go again with the distrust we saw after 9-11."
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has told troops gathered at the Gaza border that they will soon see the Palestinian enclave "from inside," suggesting an expected ground invasion with the aim of annihilating Hamas could be nearing.
Israel has pounded Gaza with more air strikes following the attack by Hamas gunmen who killed 1,400 Israelis.
The comments come after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Biden visited Israel in a demonstration of foreign support for the war against Hamas militants.
Mr Gallant says urged Israeli troops to get organised.
"We trust you and count on you. Carry on training while there is time, get organised, be prepared, the command will come. And anyone who now sees Gaza from a distance will see it from the inside, I promise you."
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says at least 3,785 Palestinians have been killed and more than 12,500 others wounded since the conflict began.
In northern Israel the Israeli Defence forces have engaged in a series of low-level skirmishes with armed groups in Lebanon, with shells launched towards where rockets were fired from across the border.
And in response the Australian government has updated its travel guidance for Lebanon to "do not travel" as security risks from the Israel-Hamas conflict worsen.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says her government is seriously concerned for the security situation of Australians in the region.
"We have today upgraded Australia's travel advice for Lebanon to Level 4, 'Do not travel.' This means if you are an Australian in Lebanon, you should consider leaving now if it is safe to do so. Commercial departure options remain available but this may change with little notice during a crisis and again I encourage people to monitor the SmartTraveller website for the latest advice."
Like any war - those most affected remain innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.
The World Health Organisation expects the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into the Gaza Strip to be opened for desperately needed aid deliveries.
Among them are five trucks full of medicines and other supplies for the chronically ill, as well as materials to treat the wounded and other supplies to care for 300,000 people.
W-H-O chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said trucks were loaded and ready to go and the organisation was working with Egypt and Palestinian charities to deliver supplies into Gaza as soon as the crossing is opened.
Dr Tedros says civilians on both sides of the conflict are suffering.
“The attacks by Hamas and other armed groups on the 7th of October that targeted Israeli civilians were horrific and unjustifiable. At the same time, WHO is gravely concerned about the health and well being of civilians in Gaza who are suffering from bombardment and siege. I also deplore the attacks on health care in both Gaza and Israel which have led to deaths and injuries of health workers and patients on both sides.”
Dr Mohammed Qandeel, who is working in Gaza, says without supplies and facilities, hospital staff can't save more lives.
“Today is the twelfth day of the escalation, we are in very difficult situation, it’s catastrophic, it’s terrible and horrible, no words can describe it, for the last few days we are sending a call for the human community that in the hospital we don’t have fuel. We can't save more lives, if this happens more, means more kids, more children, more women will die and face the death without any medical help.“
United States Secretary General António Guterres has called for a two-week humanitarian ceasefire to facilitate access to fuel, food, water and medicine for Palestinians in Gaza.
The U-N agency estimates that more than 1 million people out of a population of 2.3 million in Gaza have been displaced since the Israeli airstrikes began, with vital supplies dwindling across the besieged enclave.
He is urging all sides to respect and protect civilians.
"Let me very clear here reaffirming that international humanitarian law must be respected, that protection of civilians is also a must and any attack to a hospital, school or UN premises are forbidden "
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out a trip to Israel ahead of a bilateral visit to the U-S next week [[October 23]], as the Australian Labor Party insists it is not divided on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Mr Albanese has today rejected opposition calls to visit Israel, after two Labor ministers have said there needs to be an investigation into potential violations of international law by the country.
