Hamas has released two female captives for humanitarian reasons and in response to a Qatari-Egyptian mediation, according to a statement by Abu Ubaida, the spokesman of the group's armed wing, on its Telegram channel. The release came amid fears of a widening war as Israel escalated its attacks on the Gaza Strip while also striking targets in the occupied West Bank, Syria and Lebanon and traded fire with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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The latest news in brief:
- A third aid convoy entered the Rafah crossing from Egypt on Monday. UN aid chief Martin Griffiths has warned the besieged enclave still needs "more, much more" aid.
- Leaders of the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Britain issued a joint statement that underscored their support for Israel and its right to defend itself, but also urged it to adhere to international humanitarian law and protect civilians.
- French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Tel Aviv on Tuesday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the French presidential office said on Sunday evening.
- The death toll in Gaza rose to 5,087, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said Monday. The number of people taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 increased to 222, according to the Israeli military. The official number of people killed in the Hamas attack has not been revised since Saturday; it remains at 1,400.
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Key developments from Sunday, October 22:
US President Joe Biden convened a meeting of the so-called Quint - the US, France, Britain, Germany and Italy – plus Canada after speaking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.
The second aid convoy destined for desperate Palestinian civilians reached Gaza on Sunday, as Israel widened its attacks to include targets in Syria and the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian discussed in a call late on Sunday the means of stopping Israel's "brutal crimes" in Gaza, Hamas said in a statement.
Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
