Israel-Hamas War Day 63: Biden Holds Talks With PM Netanyahu, Emphasizes 'Need To Protect Civilians' | Top 10 Updates

(MENAFN- Live Mint) "US President Joe Biden on Thursday (local time) held talks with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, emphasizing the \"critical need\" to protect civilians and to separate them from Hamas terrorists, including through corridors.
In an official statement, the White House said,“The President emphasized the critical need to protect civilians and to separate the civilian population from Hamas including through corridors that allow people to move safely from defined areas of hostilities.”\"President Biden reiterated his concern about extremist violence committed against Palestinians and the need to increase stability in the West Bank,\" it added are top 10 updates on Israel-Hamas war,
1) Residents informed that the Israeli military hit Rafah in southern Gaza twice overnight as United Nations officials warned there are no safe places left in the besieged territory, as per AP reports.
2) The center of Gaza's second-largest city, Khan Younis, has also seen fighting amid Israel's widening air and ground offensive in the southern part of the territory that has displaced tens of thousands more Palestinians and worsened dire humanitarian conditions.3) The United Nations said 1.87 million people - more than 80% of Gaza's population - have been driven from their homes since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, triggered by the deadly October 7 Hamas assault on southern Israel.4) Around 1,200 people have died on the Israeli side, mainly civilians killed during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the territory has surpassed 17,100, with more than 46,000 wounded.5) United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has decided to invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter and urged the UN Security Council to act on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.6) Blinken said there is“a gap” between what Israel pledged to do to protect Palestinian civilians and the results so far since it began intensive military operations against Hamas in the southern Gaza Strip.7) A man fired a shotgun twice outside a Jewish temple in upstate New York, hours before the start of Hanukkah on Thursday, then said“Free Palestine” as he was taken into custody, police said. The gunfire outside Temple Israel happened at around 2 p.m., AP reported.
8) PM Netanyahu on Thursday threatened devastation in Beirut and southern Lebanon if Hezbollah opens a second front in Israel's war with Hamas, NDTV reported.
9) The two leaders discussed developments in Gaza, with Biden stressing the importance of the \"continuous and sustained flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza\". He welcomed Israel's decision to ensure that fuel levels meet requisite needs. However, Biden stated that much more assistance was urgently required across the board.10) He underscored that it was Hamas' refusal to release young women civilian hostages that caused a breakdown in the humanitarian pause, according to the statement released by the White House. The two leaders agreed to remain in regular consultation.
(With inputs from agencies)

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