Israel Gaza: IDF vows to intensify attacks as second aid convoy arrives in Gaza

Gaza’s Health Ministry said 266 Palestinians, including 117 children, had been killed by Israeli air strikes in the past 24 hours in the enclave, to which Israel laid “total siege” after a deadly mass infiltration into Israel by Hamas gunmen on 7 October.

Israeli Defence Forces spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said the country planned to step up its airstrikes starting Saturday as they prepare for an imminent ground invasion of the territory.

“We will deepen our attacks to minimize the dangers to our forces in the next stages of the war. We are going to increase the attacks, from today,” Hagari said.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Sunday that Israel’s air and missile strikes in retaliation had killed at least 4,741 and wounded 15,898, with over a million of the tiny, densely populated enclave’s 2.3 million people displaced.

A British-born man has told of discovering his sister-in-law had been killed in the Hamas attack on Israel as he and his wife hid from the militants in their home.

David, a teacher who was born and grew up in Leeds, said he was woken up at 6.30am on 7 October to the sound of rocket strikes and “shooting from all sides” in his kibbutz.

Speaking at a rally in central London, his voice broke as he told of receiving two phone calls from his eldest son and his daughter who were both also under attack in Israel with their families.

He said he expressed his concern to his wife about her sister Naomi, who usually goes for a run on Shabbat morning.

The pair sheltered in their bomb-proof room for hours and when they emerged the following afternoon news filtered through that Naomi had been killed, he said. “She went for a run and was shot in the back and head from zero range.”

When he and his wife finally managed to escape their kibbutz, he said: “I got to the gate of the kibbutz, and there were bodies everywhere and cars riddled with bullets. I said to my wife, ‘Don’t look.’ But how could you not look? There’s nowhere, no place you can’t look. Death everywhere.”

Appealing to the British government, he said: “Bring back our families, our children.”

The family of a missing British teenager has now confirmed she was killed in the Hamas attack on Israel, the BBC has reported.

Noiya Sharabi, 16, and her 13-year-old sister Yahel disappeared after the militants’ massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri on 7 October, in which their British-born mother Lianne was killed.

After Yahel’s death was confirmed last week, the sisters’ British family confirmed Noiya’s death to the BBC on Sunday, saying that she has now been formally identified.

Paying tribute to the teenager, they told the broadcaster: “Noiya was clever, sensitive, fun and full of life – her smile lit up the room like a beacon.”

“[She] embraced every opportunity to help others, particularly those less fortunate than she, and was a gifted student and linguist.

“Most importantly, she was an amazing granddaughter, cousin and niece. We are heartbroken she has gone, but forever grateful she was here.”

The sisters’ father Eli is still missing, while other relatives have been kidnapped.

The family described Yahel as “a bundle of energy” who loved “riding her bike at breakneck speed around the kibbutz, playing football, singing and dancing to Tik Tok and YouTube with sister, Noiya, and, on occasions her British cousins”.

Michael Gove has told a rally in central London “Israel must stand strong and Britain stands with Israel”.

The Communities Secretary told the the “solidarity rally” in Trafalgar Square: “There are no words to describe the suffering of families who have seen their relatives butchered in front of them and relatives who who live in hope that those who were living peacefully in their homes just two weeks ago and are now in a Hamas dungeon should be freed. No words can sum up the evil of those responsible for these acts.

“But words matter and promises matter and world made a promise 75 years ago, never again.

“And what did we see a fortnight ago? The biggest most horrific slaughter of Jewish people since the Holocaust, carried out by terrorists, an act of evil unparalleled evil and barbarism. We must stand together against it. We must stand for life. We must bring the hostages home.

“There is a difference between now and 1945 and that difference is the Jewish people have a home, they have a nation. That nation was born in hope to uphold humanities greatest virtues.”

He added: “The IDF are there to protect civilians. Hamas exist to slaughter civilians.”

An aunt has told of how her nine-month-old and four-year-old nephews were taken hostage by Hamas along with their parents.

Speaking at a rally in central London, she told of how her brother Yarden Silberman-Bibas was “terrified”, messaging her in the moments before he and his family – his wife Shiri, and their children Kfir, nine months, and Ariel, 4 – were abducted.

Speaking through tears, she said he texted, “I love you,” because they never thought they would see each other again – and she has not heard from him since.

She said she saw a photo of her “bleeding and hurt” brother with “a terrorist holding a hammer and hitting him on the head”, while she saw footage of her nephews being kidnapped.

Calling on the British government to bring the families safely home, she said, “We miss them. We want them back.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Israel has “absolutely no intent” to govern Gaza once the war is over.

He told NBC’s Meet the Press that Israel “can’t go back to the status quo. … Something needs to be found that ensures Hamas can’t do this again, but that also doesn’t revert to Israeli governance of Gaza”.

A British-Israeli woman has spoken of the “horror and pain” that engulfed her as she realised her brother and mother had been taken hostage by Hamas while her other brother had been killed.

Speaking at a rally in central London, Ayelet Svatitzky said her brother Nadav Popplewell, 51, and their mother, Channah Peri, 79 were abducted by the militants on 7 October.

“It’s hard to put into words the horror and pain that engulfed me as I realised what was happening,” she said.

She said her 54-year-old brother was initially missing before his body was found behind his house the following day. “He was murdered by Hamas terrorists,” she said.

“These are crimes against humanity. They are an attempt to break the Jewish people and state, but instead they have brought us all together in solidarity.

“The world must hear our plea: release the hostages now. This is a human rights issue.

“My family should be with me now.”

The executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme has described the current situation in Gaza as “catastrophic”.

“The situation is catastrophic in Gaza right now. There has been no food, no water, no electricity,” Cindy McCain told ABC.