Israel Palestine news LIVE: Rishi Sunak arrives in Jewish state to hold talks with Netanyahu as Joe Biden gives ‘private backing’ for Gaza ground invasion amid plans to ‘eradicate’ Hamas

The Israeli military has said the number of people held hostage by Hamas is at least 203, up from the previously confirmed figure of 199.

European Union interior ministers met on Thursday to discuss how to manage the impact of the war between Israel and Hamas on the bloc, following a firebomb attack on a Berlin synagogue and killings in Belgium and France by suspected Islamist extremists.

Sweden hosted a meeting of ministers from eight countries, including Germany, Belgium and France, focusing on tackling incidents of people burning the Islamic holy book, the Quran.

Protester Salwan Momika earlier kicked and stamped on the holy book before setting it on fire outside the Stockholm parliament and the Iraqi embassy.

Ayman Safadi told NBC that “no one… in this part of the world” believes Israel’s claim that Palestinian militants accidentally bombed al-Ahli hospital in Gaza.

“The only way people could entertain a different narrative is if there were an independent international investigation into the tragedy with irreproachable evidence that it was not Israel,” he added.

Meta, which owns Facebook, said it has taken temporary measures to limit “potentially unwanted or unwanted comments” on posts about the war between Israel and Hamas.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat rejected an argument from the government’s independent adviser on extremism that Britain has become a “permissive environment” for anti-Semitism.

When asked if he agrees with the comments, he says: ‘No, I don’t agree with that. I think Britain is a country and an environment where we take all threats to any community very seriously.

“You only have to look at the responses over the last ten days – the way the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and I and many others have reached out to the Jewish community to ensure that police action is appropriate is… to provide reassurance.

“The way we have also come into contact with the Muslim community, some of whom are also feeling vulnerable and stigmatized at the moment.”

Mr Tugendhat said it was “completely legitimate” to march in support of Palestine, as some people do, but that others were “defending a death cult”.

Egypt has agreed to reopen its northern border with Gaza so much-needed humanitarian aid can enter the war-torn enclave – but fears are growing that Hamas will steal it for itself or use it as a cover to bring in more weapons.

More than 200 trucks and some 3,000 tons of aid are now lined up at the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s only link with Egypt, to deliver food, water and medicine to the millions of civilians trapped there amid devastating Israeli airstrikes.

But under the deal that Egypt concluded after intensive talks with the president Joe Biden Yesterday, only twenty trucks carrying humanitarian aid will be allowed into the enclave from Friday at the earliest, amid fears that Hamas will confiscate the supplies.

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Hamas fighters likely fired North Korean weapons during their attack on Israel, a militant video and weapons seized by Israel have revealed, despite Pyongyang’s denials that it is selling weapons to the militant group.

The video was analyzed by two experts on North Korean weapons.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said “irresponsible speculation” over the Al Ahli hospital blast led Arab leaders to halt talks with US President Joe Biden.

He told Times Radio: ‘The reason we will be so careful about this is that there is a cost to premature speculation. Let us be clear that the reality is that talks have been promised between President Biden and some Arab leaders, and irresponsible speculation has caused some of those leaders to walk away, thinking it would be unacceptable to discuss such matters after Israel was accused of this attack.’

He added: “It now appears that this was at best speculation and at worst propaganda from a terrorist organization.”

Mr Tugendhat said he would not “name names” about who in particular was responsible for the speculation, but pointed to commentary on social media platforms.

Of the 3,478 Palestinians killed and 12,065 injured in Israeli airstrikes, 70 percent were elderly, women and children, Gaza’s Health Ministry said this morning.

Joe Biden According to a report, Israeli leaders gave US approval to launch a ground invasion of Gaza.

The US president told Netanyahu he “fully supported” Israel’s plans to invade Gaza to “exterminate the country.” Hamas‘, according to The times.

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Nestlé says it has “temporarily closed” one of its manufacturing plants in Israel as a precaution, becoming the first consumer products giant to announce a response to the conflict there.

Several global companies have temporarily closed some operations in Israel and asked their employees to work from home after the country was hit by a surprise attack by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas earlier this month.

‘Our focus is on the safety of our colleagues and employees. I have no comment on the development of the company,” Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider said during an earnings call with reporters. “We have taken the necessary precautions.”

Other multinational packaged goods companies have so far remained silent on the conflict, even as retail, health care and oil companies have rushed to make their views known.

The silence follows criticism of the packaged goods industry for choosing to keep one foot in Russia while continuing to sell ‘essential’ products.

Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel today, where he appealed to all parties to prevent a ‘further dangerous escalation’ of the conflict.

After disembarking from his plane, Mr Sunak said Britain “stands with” the Israeli people over Israel’s “unspeakable, horrific act of terror”. Hamas.

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Here’s what you need to know this morning:

• Rishi Sunak arrives in the Jewish state to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• Biden says the US will provide $100 million in humanitarian aid to Palestinians affected by conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.
• Egypt and other Arab countries generally do not want to accept Palestinian refugees.
• Relatives of people taken hostage by Hamas militants tell their stories in the hope of a safe return.
• The US has vetoed a proposed UN resolution to condemn violence against civilians in the war between Israel and Hamas.
• Anger over the Gaza hospital massacre spread across the Middle East.