Morning Briefing: November 1, 2023

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday, including dozens of causalities in Israeli airstrikes on a refugee camp, the reopening of Egypt’s Rafah border for wounded Palestinians, and South American countries severing ties with Israel.

TOP STORIES

• Israeli strikes Gaza refugee camp, causing hundreds of casualties: Interior Ministry

A series of Israeli airstrikes on a refugee camp in northern Gaza on Tuesday led to hundreds of casualties, said the Interior Ministry in the besieged enclave.

Israel hit apartment blocks in a residential area of the Jabalia refugee camp, with women and children dominating the victims, said ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bozom.

Airstrikes and bombardments continued Tuesday night as telecommunication and internet services have been completely cut.

The death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza has climbed to 8,525, including 3,542 children, said the Health Ministry.

• Rafah crossing to reopen today for injured Palestinians to go to Egypt

Gaza’s Rafah border crossing is set to reopen Wednesday to allow injured Palestinians to be treated in Egyptian hospitals.

Wael Abu Mohsen, spokesman for the Rafah border crossing, confirmed to Anadolu that the crossing will be open.

The Rafah crossing has been closed since the outbreak of fighting in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, with only a partial opening for a few days to allow the entry of a limited number of aid trucks.

• Colombia recalls ambassador, Bolivia's government breaks diplomatic ties with Israel

Colombia recalled its ambassador to Israel on Tuesday as President Gustavo Petro warned that his country would break off diplomatic relations if Israeli forces do not stop attacking civilians in the Gaza Strip.

"I have decided to recall our ambassador to Israel for consultations. If Israel does not stop the massacre of the Palestinian people, we cannot be there," Petro said on X.

The Bolivian government announced that it was breaking diplomatic ties with Israel.

“We make known our decision as the plurinational state of Bolivia to break diplomatic relations with Israel,” Minister of the Presidency Maria Nela Prada told a news conference.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday proposed an international peace conference with the participation of all relevant parties to end the Palestine-Israel conflict.

• Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf urged an immediate cease-fire in Gaza on Tuesday, saying: “Do not let any more children die. We need an immediate cease-fire, nothing less.”

• The White House said Tuesday that the US supports efforts for safe passage for civilians in Gaza but does not back any "forced relocation" of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

• More than 500 pro-Palestine protesters gathered at London’s Liverpool Street station Tuesday and staged a sit-in protest during rush hour, waving Palestinian flags and temporarily disrupting the evening commute.

• Israeli airstrikes earlier this week on the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, Gaza's main cancer treatment facility, were "terribly concerning," the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

• An immediate humanitarian cease-fire is an "absolutely imperative" in Gaza, the UN human rights office told Anadolu on Tuesday.

• The Palestinian government in Gaza has accused the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees or UNRWA of abandoning its responsibilities towards the residents of the northern Gaza Strip.

• The Israeli army said Tuesday that some 240 Israelis are being held by the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip and that 315 soldiers have been killed since Oct. 7.

• Gaza is turning into a “graveyard of children,” said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, raising the alarm over the rising number of child deaths in Gaza since Oct. 7.

SPORTS

• Saudi Arabia sole bidder for 2034 World Cup: FIFA

The International Association Football Federation (FIFA) on Tuesday announced declarations of interest to host World Cup tournaments in 2030 and 2034.

Morocco, Portugal, and Spain confirmed interest in hosting the 2030 tournament, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay confirming interest in hosting celebratory games.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation was the only nation to bid on the FIFA World Cup 2034.

• Israel's EURO 2024 qualifying matches to be held in Hungary: UEFA

Two matches of Israel in the upcoming EURO 2024 qualifiers will be played in Hungary, the UEFA announced on Tuesday.

The announcement was made after the UEFA Executive Committee decided that “no UEFA competition matches shall be played in Israel until further notice due to the current security situation,” European football's governing body said in a written statement.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Euro area annual inflation hits 2-year low in October

The euro area annual consumer inflation rate eased to an over two-year low in October, driven by plunging energy prices, according to flash estimates released on Tuesday

Consumer prices rose 2.9% year-on-year in October, the slowest pace since July 2021, the Eurostat data showed.

Headline inflation cooled from September's 4.3%, while energy prices plummeted 11.1% annually in October.

• US, Canada impose additional sanctions on Myanmar

The US imposed sanctions Tuesday on Myanmar’s state-owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE).

The move is aimed at curbing the ruling junta’s “access to resources and revenue to prevent further atrocities,” State Department spokesman Mathew Miller said on X.

The action prohibits certain activities by American citizens including provision, exportation or re-exportation, directly or indirectly, of financial services to or for the benefit of MOGE.​​​​​​​