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As it happened: Israeli troops told they will be in Gaza 'soon'
19 October 2023, 10:05 | Updated: 20 October 2023, 02:21
Israeli soldiers were told by the country's defence minister that they will be in Gaza "soon".
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Yoav Gallant told the army: "You see Gaza now from a distance, you will soon see it from inside. The command will come."
It comes after Rishi Sunak met with Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and raised the need for innocent people trapped in Gaza to be allowed to flee.
Touching down in Tel Aviv, he said: "I am in Israel, a nation in grief. I grieve with you and stand with you against the evil that is terrorism. Today, and always."
Mr Sunak later left for a wider tour of the region, and met with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the evening.
His visit to Israel came just after Joe Biden's. The US president had arrived in the immediate aftermath of a blast said to have killed hundreds of people at a hospital in Gaza, though he said it appeared to have been carried out by the "other team".
Israel said it did not bomb the hospital, instead blaming Islamic Jihad, another terror group in Gaza, for causing the blast after a rocket malfunctioned.
Here's the day's events as they happened.
Key Updates:
- Rishi Sunak visited Israel on Thursday before leaving for a wider tour of the Middle East- view post
- He has met with the country's president Isaac Herzog to discuss aid to innocent Palestinians in Gaza
- His visit comes a day after Joe Biden, in the aftermath of the hospital blast
- Israel blames jihadis for the explosion, saying a rocket malfunctioned
- Gaza militants have blamed the Israeli Defence Forces
- A British-Israeli Manchester United fan has been named as a victim murdered by Hamas - view post
That's all from us today on Israel-Hamas
Thank you for following along with us.
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Rishi Sunak has flown to Saudi Arabia from Israel.
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"We will work together to ensure regional stability and prevent a dangerous escalation."
Israeli troops to soon 'see Gaza from the inside'
Israel’s defence minister tells troops gathered at the Gaza border that they will soon see the enclave “from the inside”.
“You see Gaza now from a distance, you will soon see it from inside. The command will come … I promise you,” Yoav Gallant said, according to a statement released by his office.
The comments suggest a ground invasion could be imminent
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Some of the missing "are feared to be among the dead or kidnapped", a No10 spokesperson said.
It comes just one day after the Brit death toll was believed to be seven.