Live Updates: Hamas says it avoided civilians in its October 7 attacks

Monday, January 22, 2024

05:30 GMT - Hamas says it avoided civilians in its October 7 attacks

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas published a 16-page report highlighting the motives behind its October 7 cross-border attack on Israel and its connection to the Palestinian cause while also countering Israeli allegations.

The report, titled "Our Narrative…Operation Al Aqsa Flood” and aimed at refuting Israel's claims, said Operation Al Aqsa Flood was a necessary step and a natural reaction against Israel's plans to eliminate the Palestinian cause, seize lands, Judaize the Palestinian lands, and establish complete control over Al Aqsa Mosque and holy sites.

During the operation, "some faults" may have arisen in its implementation due to the swift breakdown of the Israeli security and military system, leading to chaos along the border areas with Gaza, the report noted.

04:50 GMT - EU foreign ministers to meet Israeli, Palestinian counterparts

EU foreign ministers hold separate talks Monday with their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts on the prospects for lasting peace after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for a future two-state solution.

The bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell risked incurring Israel's wrath by accusing it earlier of having "created" and "financed" Hamas to undermine the prospect of a possible Palestinian state.

Borrell insisted the only way to get an enduring peace in the region was for a two-state solution to "be imposed from outside".

04:13 GMT - Lebanon's Hezbollah targets Israeli soldiers who were ‘planning attack’

The Lebanese group Hezbollah said they targeted Israeli soldiers with missiles as they prepared for an attack on Lebanon.

According to a Hezbollah statement, the soldiers were preparing for an attack on Lebanese territory from an Israeli military post when they were targeted with missiles near its southern border region.

The attack reportedly resulted in a precise hit, causing casualties and injuries on the Israeli side.

03:30 GMT - US exploits events in Red Sea to fabricate international crisis: Houthis

The US exploits events in the Red Sea to fabricate an international crisis and blame the Houthis for its consequences, the official spokesman for the Yemen-based group said.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam said on X that there are “American attempts to mislead public opinion about what is happening in the Red Sea.”

“In the face of these attempts, we reiterate our confirmation that the target (of the group's operations) is Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine,” he said.

For our live updates from Sunday, January 21, click here.