War in the Middle East. Hamas ultimatum expired: rockets from Gaza on Ashkelon, Hotel Regina hit. Children beheaded and at least 200 dead in the Kfar Aza Kibbutz

John

By John

Warning sirens signaling the arrival of rockets from Gaza in northern Israel, especially in Shlomi and other locations, the army says. And three times within an hour they are sirens also rang out in the central area and in Tel Aviv.

AND Hamas rockets, in the latest launch from Gaza, hit the Hotel Regina in Ashkelon: columns of smoke can be seen near the port, Israeli media report. There had been theultimatum to the inhabitants of the city40 km north of the Gaza Strip: “We warn the inhabitants of Ashkelon to leave their city by 5 (4 pm in Italy)”.

A raid launched by Israel hit the port of Gaza. The images broadcast on TV by Al Jazeera showed a thick cloud of smoke from the port with fishing boats and boats on fire.

Israeli soldiers reported to I24 TV that they had found “children with decapitated heads” in Kfar Azza, a kibbutz stormed by Hamas militants in Gaza. According to the same source, “entire families were shot in their beds.” So far, around 40 babies and toddlers have been carried on stretchers. The army’s deputy spokesperson for the international press Masha Michelson, speaking on the telephone, confirmed that “children were found in the kibbutz” but that she was “not aware of the exact number”. “I didn’t see the bodies. The only thing I can confirm – she added – is that there were infants and children killed by terrorists.” “The terrorists entered Kfar Azza, slaughtered the people and,” she explained, “burned some of the bodies. Some are still unrecognizable. We are still taking the bodies out of the shelters, the apartments and the synagogue.”

The dead in Israel are more than 1200. The hostages taken to Gaza are over 200

New official estimates – reported by the Ynet website – have reported that the deaths in Israel from the attack from Gaza have risen to more than 1,200. According to the same information, it is believed that the Israeli hostages taken to Gaza are over 200.

In the morning, Israeli air attack on the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, the second raid in less than 24 hours. This was reported by the border authorities on the Gaza side, according to the Washington Post. The raid hit the stretch of road between the Egyptian and Gaza sides of the crossing, leaving “a hole that hinders transit to and from the Egyptian side.” The Rafah crossing had just been repaired following an Israeli airstrike last night, Iyad al-Bazum, spokesman for Gaza’s Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry, told Sky News Arabia. Egypt has closed the Rafah crossing ‘sine die’, sources told Al Arabiya.

United Nations warning to Israel: the total siege of Gaza is “forbidden” by international humanitarian law. Israel’s blanket siege of the Gaza Strip is prohibited under international law, UN human rights chief Volker Turk has said. “The imposition of sieges that endanger the lives of civilians by depriving them of essential goods for their survival is prohibited by international humanitarian law,” he underlined in a statement.

Hamas, no hostage negotiations until the end of the war

Hamas will not hold “discussions on prisoners and hostages held by resistance forces” until the end of the military campaign, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said, Haaretz reports.

Israel, schools closed on Wednesday for safety reasons

“Following an assessment of the security situation by the Home Front Command, the Ministry of Education announced that there will be no school across the country tomorrow.” The Israeli Ministry of Education announced.

The appeal of the son of the missing Italians: ‘Help us’

Priority to the lives of the hostages, the priority is to bring them home immediately, we hope Italy can also help us.” This is the appeal launched by Nadav Kipnis, son of the missing Italian-Israeli couple, contacted by Rai News 24. “My father is disabled, he has an illness that makes his immune system and his muscles very weak. If my parents were kidnapped, as we believe, we hope dad can have the drugs he needs”, he added. “We have no official confirmation, but we have information that leads us to believe that they were kidnapped: we have tracked their cell phones, which are not at home, and there is a video of terrorists kidnapping people in their neighborhood,” he said again. Nadav Kipnis talking about parents. On the other hand, he added, the lists of victims are starting to circulate and their names do not appear.

The Pope calls the parish priest of Gaza

“Yesterday I spoke with Pope Francis who showed me his closeness and his prayers for the entire ecclesial community of Gaza and for all the parishioners and inhabitants”. This was revealed to SIR by the parish priest of Gaza, Father Gabriel Romanelli, currently stuck in Bethlehem, waiting to return to his parish, the Holy Family, the only Catholic one in the Strip. “I thanked the Pontiff for his appeal for peace in Israel and Palestine last Sunday at the Angelus – added the religious -. Pope Francis gave his blessing so that everyone could feel his closeness”. Currently the Gaza parish hosts 130 refugees and others are hosted in nearby parish structures. “The bombings – says Father Romanelli, reporting testimonies from his parishioners – are continuous and harsh. The fear of a land invasion is rising”.

The first 200 Italians from Tel Aviv at Pratica di Mare

The two military planes that brought back to Italy the first 200 compatriots who wanted to leave Israel have landed in Pratica di Mare. Two more military flights are scheduled. Approximately another 200 Italians will board the Italian Air Force vehicles in Tel Aviv. During the day, after the arrival of around 200 people, in two different Boeings, two more flights were scheduled with the same military plane. The operations ordered by the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs are managed by the Joint Forces Summit Coordination in coordination with the Maeci offices. In the next two flights the arrival of 180-200 Italians is expected, who will also land at the military airport of Pratica di Mare. At the end of the day, 400 Italians will have returned from Israel.

Interior Ministry, strengthen prevention measures

The Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, chaired the National Committee for public order and security at the Interior Ministry for an analysis of the possible threats linked to the serious crisis in the Middle East. During the meeting, the ministry informs, “following a detailed assessment of the risk profiles, it was decided to increase the level of attention towards every possible objective and to strengthen prevention measures in the area”. The meeting was attended by the Undersecretary of the Interior Nicola Molteni, the leaders of the police force and those of the security agencies.