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Nearly 100 Britons are listed among foreigners and Palestinians who will be allowed to leave Gaza and cross into Egypt on Friday.

The Palestinian Border Authority published a list that includes 92 British nationals among 127 names.

Two Irish dependants, one Moroccan, 31 Palestinians and one Palestinian dependant are also set to leave.

Israel-Gaza latest – live updates

Palestinians cross to the Egyptian side of the border crossing with the Gaza Strip Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. in Rafah Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)
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Some Palestinians with foreign passports are being allowed into Egypt. Pic: AP

Egypt has said it will not accept an influx of Palestinian refugees in case Israel stops them returning after the war.

However, in the last few days, Palestinians with foreign passports have been allowed over Gaza‘s southern border at the Rafah crossing.

Some 342 Palestinians with foreign papers and 42 others crossed on Thursday, said the Palestinian Border Authority.

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It followed around 400 on Wednesday – when an unspecified number of British nationals were also allowed over for the first time.

The crossings come as Israel continues attacks as it aims to destroy Hamas after last month’s terror attack.

Troops completely encircled Gaza City on Thursday, said the country’s military, as it steps up ground operations after weeks of aerial attacks.

Chief of staff Herzi Halevy said troops were fighting “face-to-face” battles in “built-up, dense, complex areas”.

He said they were inflicting heavy losses on Hamas and destroying its infrastructure.

This photo released by the Israeli military shows ground operations inside the Gaza Strip. Pic: AP
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This photo from the Israeli military shows ground operations inside the Gaza Strip. Pic: AP

Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

On Thursday, planes dropped leaflets telling people to evacuate the Shati refugee camp, near Gaza City’s centre.

“Time is up,” they read, warning that strikes “with crushing force” against Hamas were imminent.

Casualties are expected to rise as the fighting gets further into the densely packed streets of Gaza City

At least 20 people were also killed on Thursday when a school-turned-shelter was damaged in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, according to the United Nations.

It said four of its shelters had been hit in the last 24 hours.

A Palestinian man reacts after being rescued from under the rubble in Bureij refugee camp. Pic: AP
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A Palestinian man reacts after being rescued from rubble in Bureij refugee camp. Pic: AP

Palestinians gather at the site of Israeli strikes on houses in Bureij in the central Gaza Strip,November 2, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa
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Fifteen people are said to have died after strikes hit the Bureij area

Fifteen also died after an airstrike hit a residential building in the the Bureij refugee camp a few miles south of Gaza City, a civil defence spokesperson said.

It happened in the southern zone where Israel has told people to flee – but which has been repeatedly hit.

Israel says it takes great care to avoid civilian casualties but that Hamas deliberately embeds itself among the population.

More than 9,000 Palestinians have now died in less than a month – with 32,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

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‘At least 20 killed’ after school-turned-shelter damaged

The offensive was launched after Hamas murdered more than 1,400 Israelis and kidnapped more than 200 in its cross-border attack 7 October.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken is heading back to the region on Friday to try to push President Biden’s suggestion of a humanitarian pause.

He will hold talks in Israel and Jordan but faces a hard time convincing Benjamin Netanyahu to stand down his forces.

The Israeli prime minister has not responded directly to Mr Biden’s idea but previously dismissed calls for a ceasefire.

Speaking on Thursday, he insisted: “We are advancing… Nothing will stop us.”

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Blinken: ‘How Israel does this matters’

The hope behind a pause is to let more foreign nationals to leave while also allowing more aid trucks to enter.

Gaza’s 2.3 million people are facing crippling shortages of food and water, while hospitals are on the verge of collapse and without critical supplies.

Despite strong support among Western governments for Israel’s right to hit back at Hamas, there is growing unease at the number of deaths – with key questions including whether the counterattacks are proportionate.

Read more:
British surgeon out ‘at last’ after being trapped in Gaza

Analysis – How many people have died in Gaza?

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Rocket strike hits northern Israel

A man mourns Israeli combat medic, staff sergeant Shay Arvas, who was killed in the northern Gaza Strip
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A man mourns Israeli medic staff sergeant Shay Arvas, killed in northern Gaza

On Thursday night, Israel’s military spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari reiterated its mission was only to wipe out Hamas.

“I want to make something very clear,” he said in a recorded video.

“Israel is at war with Hamas. Israel is not at war with the civilians in Gaza.”

Twenty one Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ground offensive.

Meanwhile, continued rocket fire from Gaza and skirmishes with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants have forced an estimated 250,000 Israelis to evacuate border towns in the north and disrupted life for millions.

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Israel says it will screen October 7 attacks to Greta Thunberg and other activists after Gaza-bound aid boat ‘diverted’

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Israel says it will screen October 7 attacks to Greta Thunberg and other activists after Gaza-bound aid boat 'diverted'

The Israeli military will show Greta Thunberg and other activists footage of the 7 October attacks after a Gaza-bound aid boat was diverted to Israel, the country’s foreign minister has said.

Early on Monday, the Israeli foreign ministry said that the British-flagged yacht Madleen – operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) – “is safely making its way to the shores of Israel”.

All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry added, sharing footage of the activists being handed sandwiches and water.

In a statement via his spokesperson, defence minister Israel Katz said that he has instructed the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to screen footage of the 7 October attacks for those aboard when they arrive at Ashdod Port.

Greta Thunberg was "safe and in good spirits" while en route to Israel, the foreign ministry said. Pic: Israel Foreign Ministry
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Greta Thunberg was ‘safe and in good spirits’ while en route to Israel, the foreign ministry said. Pic: Israel Foreign Ministry

“Antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-supporting friends should see exactly what the Hamas terrorist organisation – which they came to support and act on behalf of – truly is,” he said.

“They should see the atrocities committed against women, the elderly, and children, and understand whom Israel is fighting to defend itself.”

He then added, “I commend the IDF for its swift and safe takeover” of the vessel, and said the Israeli military “will continue its just and moral fight against the Hamas murderers until their defeat, the release of all hostages, and the full restoration of Israel’s security”.

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Great Thunberg and other activists are given water and sandwiches. Pic: Israel Foreign Ministry
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Ms Thunberg and other activists after their boat was diverted to Israel. Pic: Israel Foreign Ministry

Israel’s foreign ministry said earlier that those aboard the Madleen “are expected to return to their home countries,” and that the humanitarian aid aboard the ship would be transferred to Gaza through established channels.

Ms Thunberg was “safe and in good spirits” while en route to Israel, it added, calling the vessel “the ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities'”.

The FFC claimed the passengers on the yacht had been “kidnapped by Israeli forces” and released pre-recorded messages from them after previously saying that the “Israeli army had boarded” the vessel.

Climate campaigner Ms Thunberg, 22, was one of a dozen activists aboard the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily on 1 May on a mission aiming to break Israel’s sea blockade.

Greta Thunberg in a pre-recorded video, released after the Madleen was diverted to Israel. Pic: FFC
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Ms Thunberg pictured in a pre-recorded video, released after the Madleen was diverted to Israel. Pic: FFC

Greta Thunberg aboard the vessel on 2 June. Pic: Freedom Flotilla Coalition/Reuters
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The climate campaigner aboard the Madleen on 2 June. Pic: Freedom Flotilla Coalition/Reuters

Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, who is of Palestinian descent, was also on the boat.

She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israel’s policies towards Palestinians.

Ms Hassan wrote on X as the FFC’s yacht was allegedly surrounded by other vessels: “The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2am.”

The diversion of the Madleen came after Mr Katz said that he had instructed the IDF to prevent the vessel from reaching the shore and to “take whatever measures necessary”.

Greta Thunberg on board the Madleen heading for Gaza
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The Madleen was heading for Gaza

Addressing Ms Thunberg and the other activists on Sunday, he said: “You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza.”

Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month after a three-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas and preventing the group from importing arms.

But humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless there is an end to the blockade and the 20-month war, which began after a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, that killed more than 1,200 people.

According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign.

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Why is Greta sailing to Gaza?

An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group’s vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta.

The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship.

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Francesca Albanese, United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, also urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade.

She said on social media: “Madleen’s journey may have ended, but the mission isn’t over.

“Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza.”

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Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay in ‘critical condition’ after attempted assassination – as 15-year-old suspect arrested

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Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay in 'critical condition' after attempted assassination - as 15-year-old suspect arrested

A 15 year-old-boy has been arrested after a Colombian senator running to be the country’s next president was shot and “critically” injured at a campaign rally in Bogota, authorities have said.

Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, 39, was targeted during the campaign event in a park in the Fontibon area of the Colombian capital, according to the Attorney General’s office.

He suffered two gunshot wounds when armed assailants shot him from behind and appeared to be bleeding from his head as he was helped by aides and people in the crowd, in a video posted on social media.

According to a medical report at the Santa Fe Foundation hospital, he was admitted there in a “critical condition” and is still undergoing a “neurosurgical and peripheral vascular procedure”.

Opposition Senator Miguel Uribe, right, discusses a referendum proposal on labor reform, in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Pic: AP
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Opposition senator Miguel Uribe Turbay on 13 May. Pic: AP

His wife Maria Claudia Tarazone wrote on X that he is “fighting for his life” and urged Colombians to pray for him.

She later said he survived an initial operation for the injuries.

Ms Tarazone said: “Miguel came out of surgery, he made it. Every hour is a critical hour. He fought his first battle, and it went well. This will take time.”

The hospital said Mr Uribe Turbay had procedures on his head and his left thigh, and remained in intensive care as doctors try to stabilise his condition.

Two other people were injured in the attack but the nature of their injuries has not been made public.

A suspect, a 15-year-old boy, was arrested at the scene with a firearm and is being treated for a leg injury, police chief General Carlos Triana said.

The government is offering a $730,000 (£540,000) reward for information and President Gustavo Petro said the investigation will focus on who ordered the attack.

“For now there is nothing more than hypothesis,” he said, adding that failures in security protocols would also be looked into.

People gather outside the hospital where Mr Uribe Turbay is 'sighting for his life. Pic: Reuters
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People gather outside the hospital where Mr Uribe Turbay is ‘fighting for his life’. Pic: Reuters

Mr Uribe Turbay, who announced his presidential bid for the right-wing Democratic Center Party in March, was accompanied by a team of 21 people at the time of the shooting, his office said, including councilman Andres Barrios.

He was hoping to run in the presidential elections taking place on 31 May next year – and succeed Mr Petro, the country’s first leftist leader.

His mother, who was a journalist, was kidnapped and killed in 1991 during one of the most violent periods in Colombia’s history.

Investigators inspect the scene where Colombian senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot during a campaign rally
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Forensic investigators at the scene of Mr Uribe Turbay’s shooting in Bogota. Pic: AP

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His party described it as an “unacceptable act of violence”, while US secretary of state Marco Rubio condemned it in the “strongest possible terms”.

Writing on X, Mr Rubio also urged Colombia’s current president to “dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials”.

Police outside the Medicentro hospital where Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay is being treated after being shot
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Police outside the hospital where Mr Uribe Turbay is being treated. Pic: AP

Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe, who is not related to Mr Uribe Turbay, said the gunman had “attacked the hope of the country, a great husband, son, brother, and a great colleague”.

He cancelled a planned trip to France due to the “seriousness of the events”, his office said in a statement.

Messages of support poured in from elsewhere in Latin America, with Chilean President Gabriel Boric saying: “There is no room or justification for violence in a democracy.”

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa added: “We condemn all forms of violence and intolerance.”

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Israel’s defence minister vows to stop aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg from reaching Gaza

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Israel's defence minister vows to stop aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg from reaching Gaza

Israel’s defence minister has threatened to “take whatever measures necessary” to stop an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg from reaching Gaza.

The climate campaigner, 22, is one of a dozen activists aboard the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily last Sunday on a mission aiming to break Israel‘s sea blockade.

The activists have said they plan to reach Gaza‘s territorial waters as early as Sunday to deliver humanitarian aid.

But in a post on X, Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said he has instructed the IDF to prevent the vessel reaching shore and to “take whatever measures necessary”.

Addressing Thunberg and the other activists, he said: “You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza.”

He wrote: “I have instructed the IDF to act so that the “Madeleine” hate flotilla does not reach the shores of Gaza – and to take any means necessary to that end.

“To the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza.

“Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations – at sea, in the air and on land.”

Latest known position of the vessel
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Latest known position of the vessel

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Why is Greta sailing to Gaza?

Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, who is of Palestinian descent, is also on the boat, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israel’s policies towards Palestinians.

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Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month after a three-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas and preventing the group from importing arms.

But humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless there is an end to the blockade and the 20-month war, which was ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 Oct 2023.

An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group’s vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta.

The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship.

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