By Rabia Ali
ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Monday, including unprecedented Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, arrival of US nuclear submarine in Middle East, meeting between US secretary of state and Palestinian president, and widespread condemnation of Arab countries over nukes statement by Israeli minister.
TOP STORIES
- Israel conducts unprecedented airstrikes on Gaza as conflict nears a month
A month into the Palestine-Israel conflict, the Israeli army launched more than 100 airstrikes on Gaza City in less than an hour on Sunday.
The violent bombardment, coincided with a communications outage, resulting in several casualties.
The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza Strip has reached at least 9,770 including 4,800 children, the Health Ministry announced.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said it completed a blockade of Gaza City and divided it into two sections, calling on residents to move south.
- US Navy sends nuclear submarine to Middle East
The US Navy has sent a nuclear submarine to the Middle East, it was confirmed.
“On November 5, 2023, an Ohio-class submarine arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said late Sunday on X.
Since the Palestinian group Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel on Oct. 7, the US has sent two aircraft carriers to the region.
- Palestinian president urges Blinken to stop Israeli war on Gaza
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the US to move to immediately stop Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.
Meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the presidential headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Abbas "demanded an immediate cease-fire, and increase in the provision of humanitarian aid, including medical, food, water, electricity, and fuel, to the Gaza Strip,” according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
- Arab world denounces Israeli minister’s remarks of ‘nuking Gaza'
The Arab world issued statements condemning remarks by an Israeli minister on using a nuclear bomb against Gaza.
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, who was later suspended, said “one of Israel’s options in the war in Gaza is to drop a nuclear bomb on the Strip.”
Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and Yemen all strongly condemned the statement.
Kuwait said Israeli occupation had reached a degree of unprecedented brutality, whereas the UAE and OIC also expressed outrage.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Turkish capital Ankara. He will hold meetings with Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan about the situation in Gaza, regional issues and bilateral relations.
- Some 1.5M of Gaza’s more than 2.2 million residents have been displaced since Oct. 7, with nearly half of them taking shelter in UN facilities, UNRWA said.
- A woman and her three young granddaughters were killed and two other people injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting a civilian car in southern Lebanon.
- Israeli phosphorus shells burned 462 hectares (1,143 acres) of agricultural and forestland in southern Lebanon, and Beirut will file official complaints to UN officials, said a Lebanese minister.
- Two Turkish ships, loaded with field hospitals and ambulances for injured people in the Gaza Strip, given permission to enter Egyptian ports, Türkiye’s health minister said.
- It is Türkiye's duty to stop the bloodshed in Gaza, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an address in Rize province.
- An Israeli airstrike on Gaza killed four children and three siblings of Anadolu cameraman Muhammed Alaloul. Several of his family members were also injured.
- Jordanian air force airdropped urgent medical and pharmaceutical aid to a Jordanian field hospital in the Gaza Strip, King Abdullah II announced.
- German authorities said a hostage situation at Hamburg Airport came to an end, with the suspect surrendering peacefully to the police.
- Thousands of people held a protest rally in Sweden’s capital in solidarity with Palestine, demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.
SPORTS
- Kenyan athletes crowned winners of intercontinental Istanbul marathon
Kenyan athletes won the 45th Istanbul Marathon, the world’s only intercontinental run.
Beatrice Cheptoo was victorious in the women's category and Panuel Mkungo came first in the men's category.
The marathon kicked off on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, approximately 250 meters (820 feet) before the July 15 Martyrs Bridge toll booths.
- Verstappen marks record 17th win of the season in Sao Paulo Grand Prix
Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen marked his record 17th Grand Prix win of the Formula One World Championship 2023 season in Sao Paulo.
The 2023 Formula One champion marked a historic victory in Brazilian Grand Prix with a time of 1 hour, 26 minutes and 07.136 seconds at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- Initial cost of Gaza war for Israel amounts to $51B: Report
Preliminary Israeli estimates showed that the conflict in Gaza would cost the state budget 200 billion shekels ($51 billion).
The Finance Ministry’s initial estimate of the cost on the state treasury is “based on the fact that the situation will not extend for more than a year, no additional arenas will be developed, and reserve soldiers will return to work soon,” Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
- Japanese firms to invest $6.33B in Malaysia
Japanese companies will invest $6.33 billion in Malaysia this year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced.
“This year we have a commitment of foreign direct investment from Japan that exceeds RM30 billion ($6.33 billion). This is very impressive,” he said.