The Pope speaks out, Egypt and the US reach an agreement to bring aid to the Gaza Strip, and some notable news about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
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| Israel-Hamas conflict: Scenes of devastation at Al-Ahli hospital after a massive explosion killed hundreds of people on October 17. (Source: EPA/Shutterstock) |
* US intelligence: Israel did not attack hospital in Gaza : On October 18, writing on social network X, US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said: "While we continue to gather information, our current assessment, based on analysis of aerial imagery, classified information and open sources, is that Israel is not responsible for the explosion at the hospital in the Gaza Strip yesterday."
Earlier, US President Joe Biden also said the incident appeared to have originated from a “misfired missile” by another “group”. He said “this assessment is based on data that the Department of Defense has shown me”.
* More than 1,000 Russian citizens and their families are stranded in the Gaza Strip : On October 18, speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the situation in the Middle East, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said: “More than 2 million residents in this area still do not have water, food, medical care, fuel and electricity.
The only checkpoint on the border with Egypt, Rafah, is now under rocket attack again and is therefore closed to civilians and humanitarian deliveries. Among those trapped by the military blockade in the Gaza Strip are about 1,000 Russian citizens and their family members.”
Earlier, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov said that 1,000 citizens of this country and other CIS countries, including their families, were in the southern Gaza Strip waiting for the Rafah border crossing to open. According to him, the situation in this area was “close to catastrophic”.
* Pope calls for avoiding humanitarian disaster in Gaza : On October 18, speaking at his weekly audience in St Peter's Square, Pope Francis deplored the "desperate" situation in Gaza, and called on Catholics to "stand only on the side" of peace in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“Conflict does not solve anything. It only sows death and destruction, increases hatred, multiplies revenge. Conflict destroys the future,” the Pope said, calling for every effort “to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.”
However, the Pope did not mention the attack on Al-Ahli Hospital in the Gaza Strip. The Pope also announced a special prayer for peace at St. Peter's Basilica on October 27.
* Jordanian police clash with protesters near Israeli Embassy : On October 18, Jordanian police said that several of the country's riot police were injured when they clashed with rioters who burned property near the Israeli Embassy.
Earlier, the Amman government deployed this force to disperse a crowd of thousands of people planning to march on the Israeli Embassy to protest the Jewish State's military activities in the Gaza Strip.
* Egypt, US agree to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza : On October 18, in a phone call, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his US counterpart Joe Biden agreed to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip "in a stable manner".
The Egyptian President's spokesman also said that the two sides are coordinating with international humanitarian organizations under the supervision of the United Nations to ensure aid reaches the destination.
Meanwhile, according to a statement from the White House, the two leaders agreed on the need to maintain stability in the Middle East and prevent the escalation of conflict. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The two Presidents were scheduled to attend the Israel-Hamas Summit in Amman, Jordan, along with King Abdullah II and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. However, after the explosion at Al-Ahli Hospital, the host country, the US and other parties agreed to cancel the event.
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