Rabia Ali
November 13, 2023•Update: November 13, 2023
ISTANBUL
Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Monday with, including catastrophic situation at Gaza hospitals, fuel demand for hospitals by Hamas, EU pressing for immediate pauses in hostilities in Gaza, and Türkiye welcoming resolution on denuclearization conference.
TOP STORIES
The lives of about 650 patients, including 36 children, are at risk due to the catastrophic situation in the Al-Shifa Hospital, the director general of hospitals in the Gaza Strip, Muhammad Zaqout, warned on Sunday.
Calling on Egypt to save their lives, he said there were about 1,500 displaced people in hospital’s complex, warning that accumulation of garbage and medical waste, lack of water, and power outages threaten everyone’s life.
On Sunday afternoon, an attack by Israeli forces damaged the intensive care unit at the hospital, said authorities. Earlier, the hospital's cardiology unit was damaged by another attack.
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas urged the United Nations and the international community on Sunday to “immediately intervene to bring fuel into the Gaza Strip to operate hospitals.”
It issued the statement in response to a claim by the Israeli army that the group had refused to receive fuel for Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.
Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said Sunday on X that Israeli forces had provided Al-Shifa Hospital with 300 liters of fuel but Hamas had prevented the hospital from receiving it, while the group denied the allegations, describing them as “a lie.”
The EU on Sunday joined calls for "immediate pauses" in hostilities and establishment of humanitarian corridors in Gaza.
"The EU is gravely concerned about the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza," the bloc said in a statement, adding it "joins calls for immediate pauses in hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors, including through increased capacity at border crossings and through a dedicated maritime route, so that humanitarian aid can safely reach the population of Gaza."
It called for "continued, rapid, safe and unhindered" humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need through any necessary means.
Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday welcomed the Arab-Islamic summit resolution proposing to hold a denuclearization conference in the region due to Israel's nuclear weapons.
"For the first time, we are proposing a 'Denuclearization Conference' in the region due to Israel's nuclear weapons," Erdogan told reporters aboard the presidential plane on his way back from the Saudi capital Riyadh, where he attended the Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Saturday.
He said that the issue of denuclearization is very important in terms of revealing which actors are supporting Israel.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- A total of 22 hospitals in the Gaza Strip have run out of service due to the Israeli “aggression,” with 53 ambulance vehicles targeted, the government media office in the besieged enclave said on Sunday.
- World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Sunday that Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip is no longer operating as a medical facility, citing a concerning rise in patient fatalities.
- The US does not want to see firefights in Gaza hospitals where patients receive treatment and has conveyed its views to the Israeli army, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday.
- Five American service members died in a US military aircraft crash in the Mediterranean during a routine air refueling mission in the Mediterranean, the US European Command said on Sunday.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday suggested that there could be a potential agreement with Hamas for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
- Palestinian Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila sent an urgent distress call on Sunday to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to press Israel to stop its attacks on the Gaza Strip.
- The US military conducted strikes on two targets in eastern Syria believed to be used by Iran-backed groups, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday.
- The defense ministers of the US, South Korea and Japan held a trilateral meeting on Sunday to discuss shared regional security concerns and to review the implementation of security cooperation, and share missile warning data on North Korea, according to a statement from the US Defense Department.
- Thousands of Serbians have been gathering every Sunday in the capital Belgrade to rally in support of Palestine amid its war with Israel, carrying Palestinian and Serbian flags and chanting slogans such as "Free Palestine."
SPORTS
Kosovo beat Israel 1-0 on Sunday in a rearranged Group I qualifying match to seal a spot at UEFA EURO 2024.
The only goal of the match was scored in the 41st minute by Milot Rashica, who plays for Turkish Super Lig club Besiktas.
Kosovo rose to fourth place in Group I with 10 points.
Manchester City on Sunday drew 4-4 with Chelsea on matchday 12 of the English Premier League.
Erling Haaland scored twice in the 25th and 47th minutes, while Manuel Akanji and Rodri produced one goal each in the 45th and 86th minutes respectively for the Sky Blues at Stamford Bridge.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said Sunday that he expects to reach an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and foreign oil companies on resuming oil production from the region within three days.
Speaking during a visit to the region’s capital, Erbil, he said Iraq had also reached an “understanding” with Türkiye on resuming northern oil exports through the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline.
- China-Pakistan key trade route closed for 4 months despite 'agreement'
A key trade crossing between China and Pakistan will remain closed for the next four months despite an agreement to keep the high-altitude route open throughout the year.
Beijing announced the closure of the Khunjerab Pass, which connects Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan with China's northwestern Xinjiang region, for four months in winter, local English daily Dawn reported on Sunday.
