Civilians and soldiers held hostage in Gaza, says Israel – as it happened

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At least 250 people in Israel killed and around 232 people killed in Gaza Strip

At least 250 people in Israel were killed, with at least 1,800 injured, according to Israeli officials. The Red Crescent said 92 people had been injured in the West Bank. On Israeli television, family members of the dead, and of dozens of missing people taken hostage by Hamas, wept down phones as they described how their homes and communities had been attacked while families slept.

In the Gaza Strip, at least 232 people were killed and 1,650 injured in the retaliatory Israeli airstrikes, sending the area’s already crumbling medical infrastructure into chaos.

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan discussed the conflict between Israel and Palestinians with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.

The source provided no further information. Fidan previously spoke to his Qatari, Saudi, Iranian, Egyptian, and Palestinian counterparts about the fighting, Reuters reported.

Hundreds of people attending a desert party in Kibbutz Re’im fled after the attack by Hamas.

Contact has been lost with those who fled with their friends and relatives trying to gather information on social media, the website ynetnews reported.

Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi discussed in a phone call with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell the need for international action to stop escalation in Gaza, the Jordanian foreign ministry said in a statement.

“Al-Safadi stressed the need to protect the region from the consequences of a new cycle of violence, create a real political horizon to end the occupation, and stop all measures that foment tension and undermine the chances of achieving a two-state solution,” the statement read, Reuters reports.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas told U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken that “injustice” towards Palestinians is driving the conflict with Israel to an “explosion”, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

In a phone call, Abbas also said the ongoing escalation is down to the “practices of the colonialists and the Israeli occupation forces, and the aggression against Islamic and Christian sanctities,” according to WAFA.

US president Joe Biden delivers remarks on Hamas’s attacks: “The United States stands with Israel”

Joe Biden issued staunch condemnation of the attacks by Hamas against Israel, saying in an address on Saturday:

“In this moment of tragedy, I want to say to [Hamas] and the world and to terrorists everywhere: The United States stands with Israel. We will not ever fail to have her back.

We’ll make sure they’ll have the help their citizens need and they can continue to defend themselves…

Israel has the right to defend itself and its people, full stop. There is never a justification for terrorist attacks and my administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering…

This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage. The world is watching.”

Biden went on to say that he has directed his national security team to engage with their Israeli counterparts, “military to military, intelligence to intelligence, diplomat to diplomat, to make sure Israel has what it needs.”

He added that he has also directed his team to remain in “constant contact” with leaders throughout the region including Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, the UAE as well as the US’s European counterparts and the Palestinian Authority.

“Jill and I are praying for those families who have been impacted by this violence. We grieve with those who have lost their loved ones, lost a piece of their soul. We have hope for swift recovery for many who have been wounded,” he said, adding that he will remain in close contact with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

An earlier post about the former UK Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn (here) has been edited to remove a reference to an X post made by Corbyn earlier in the week.

Palestine president Mahmoud Abbas received a phone call from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in which Abbas “emphasized that the current escalation in the region is a result of the political impasse,” Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Saturday.

Abbas also pointed to the “denial of the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, their land, and their sacred sites, and the continued terrorism of Israeli settlers,” WAFA said.

“The President stated that ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land with East Jerusalem as its capital, recognizing the Palestinian people’s right to independence and sovereignty, and granting full UN membership would ensure security, stability, and peace in the region,” WAFA continued.

He went on to call on Macron to “urgently intervene to halt the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people by Israeli occupation forces and extremist settler groups,” the outlet added.

Jeremy Corbyn, the former UK Labour leader, has called for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

On Saturday, he called for an “immediate ceasefire and urgent de-escalation,” saying, “Ending the occupation is the only means of achieving a just and lasting peace.”

Updated at 14.48 EDT

Here is video of Israel’s military response as the Israel-Palestine war escalates following Hamas’s launch of its aerial and ground operation from Gaza:

Israel launches military response as Israel-Palestine war escalates – video