Breakdown of foreign nationals killed or held hostage by Hamas

Breakdown of foreign nationals killed or held hostage by Hamas
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Palestinians walk and drive away from Kibbutz Kfar Azza, Israel, near the fence with the Gaza strip following a deadly attack on the community on Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo)
Breakdown of foreign nationals killed or held hostage by Hamas
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Berlin's Jewish community set up 220 chairs that symbolically represent hostages taken by Hamas and missing people waiting to come home, during a solidarity demonstration in front of the Jewish Parish Hall, in Germany on October 27, 2023. (REUTERS)
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Updated 28 October 2023
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Breakdown of foreign nationals killed or held hostage by Hamas

Breakdown of foreign nationals killed or held hostage by Hamas
  • More than 1,400 people, mainly civilians, were killed in Israel by Hamas militants during the attack launched from Gaza
  • In Gaza, more than 7,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed in relentless retaliatory Israeli bombardments

PARIS: Numerous foreigners were killed, taken hostage or listed as missing after the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas launched a major attack on Israel on October 7.

More than 1,400 people, mainly civilians, were killed by Hamas militants during the attack launched from Gaza, many of them shot dead, burned alive or mutilated, Israeli authorities say.
The militants have also taken nearly 230 people hostage, including Israelis, foreigners and dual nationals, according to Israel. Four women have since been released.
On October 26, Hamas’s armed wing said “almost 50” Israeli hostages had been killed in Israeli bombing raids. Israeli authorities have not confirmed the figure, which AFP has not been able to independently verify.
In Gaza, more than 7,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, of whom more than 3,000 were children, have been killed in relentless retaliatory Israeli bombardments, Gaza’s health ministry said on October 27.
The deaths of more than 200 foreigners in the Hamas attack, many of whom had double nationality, have been confirmed by their respective countries, according to an AFP count.
Here is a breakdown of the deaths of foreigners in Israel, according to the latest available information.

France - 35 citizens killed and nine were being held hostage or listed as missing, according to the French foreign ministry. Among the hostages is a young woman, Mia Shem, who appeared in a video released on October 16 by Hamas.

Thailand - 33 nationals killed and 18 abducted, according to the Bangkok government. Around 30,000 Thais work in Israel, mainly in farming.

US - 31 Americans died, according to the White House, and 13 have been listed as missing. President Joe Biden has said that Americans are among the hostages. An American woman and her daughter were freed on Friday.

Ukraine - 21 were killed, according to the Kyiv authorities. One Ukrainian has been listed as missing.

Russia - 19 Russian-Israelis were killed and two others are being held hostage by Hamas. Seven Russians are listed as missing.

UK - At least 12 Britons were killed and five have been listed as missing, according to the British government. Among the victims are Yahel Sharabi, 13, killed with his mother Lianne and his elder sister Noiya, 16, according to their family. Their father, Eli, is still missing.

Nepal - 10 Nepalis were killed according to the country’s embassy in Tel-Aviv. Contact has been lost with another.

Germany - Officials say fewer than 10 Germans died, while reporting a “double-digit” number of hostages.

Argentina - Nine killed and 21 listed as missing or taken hostage, including two brothers — Iair and Eitan Horn, according to their father — and a nine-month-old baby.

Canada - Six killed, plus one person with “deep connections to Canada,” according to the government, and two are still missing.

Romania -  Five Romanians, who also have Israeli nationality, including a soldier, were killed, and one has been abducted by Hamas. Four Portuguese, also with dual nationality, were killed and four listed as missing.

China - Four Chinese died and two are missing.

Philippines - Four Filipinos died, including a 33-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man in an attack on a kibbutz, along with a 49-year-old woman attending an electronic music festival. Two Filipinos have also been listed as missing.

Austria - Four Austrians with dual Israeli nationality were killed and one is listed as missing.

Italy - Three Italians with dual nationality died, according to the government in Rome, including a couple in their sixties and a 29-year-old who was attending a music festival attacked by Hamas.

Belarus - Three citizens died, and one is listed as missing.

Brazil - A Brazilian couple with dual Israeli nationality as well as another Brazilian woman died, while Brazilian-Israeli dual national Michel Nisenbaum, 59, was reported missing.

Peru - Three citizens were killed.

South Africa - Two citizens were killed.

Chile, Turkiye, Spain, Sri Lanka and Colombia all announced one death and one missing, while Cambodia, Australia, Honduras, Azerbaijan, Ireland and Switzerland each said one of their citizens died.

Four Israeli-Hungarians, including two minors, are among those being held hostage.

A 30-year-old Mexican with dual Israeli nationality and a Franco-Mexican, 32, are also being held.

The Netherlands said an 18-year-old man, kidnapped at the Beeri kibbutz, was a hostage, while Uruguay confirmed that one of its nationals who also holds Israeli citizenship was abducted at the Nir Oz kibbutz.

According to official sources, two Paraguayans and two Tanzanians are also being held hostage.
 


Libya’s oil production plunges 63 percent due to oilfield closures, NOC says

Libya’s oil production plunges 63 percent due to oilfield closures, NOC says
Updated 4 sec ago
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Libya’s oil production plunges 63 percent due to oilfield closures, NOC says

Libya’s oil production plunges 63 percent due to oilfield closures, NOC says
CAIRO: Libya’s National Oil Corporation said on Friday that recent oilfield closures have caused the loss of approximately 63 percent of the country’s total oil production, as a conflict between rival eastern and western factions continues.
The North African country’s oil blockade has widened, with eastern leaders demanding western authorities back down over the replacement of the central bank governor, a key position in a state where control over oil revenue is the biggest prize for all factions.
The crisis over control of the Central Bank of Libya threatens a new bout of instability in a major oil producer split between eastern and western factions that have drawn backing from Turkiye and Russia.
Highlighting that the oil sector represents the backbone of the Libyan economy, NOC said restarting the halted oilfields will require huge costs and double technical efforts.
It said the reasons for the oil closure have “nothing to do” with the company, adding that its teams are assessing losses resulting from the closures.
The repeated shutdowns have resulted in the loss of a large portion of the country’s oil production, caused a deterioration of the sector’s infrastructure, and dissipated efforts to increase production, the NOC added in its statement.
Eastern factions have vowed to keep Libya’s oil output shuttered until the internationally recognized Presidency Council and Government of National Unity in Tripoli in the west return veteran central bank governor Sadiq Al-Kabir to his post.
Presidency Council chief Mohammed Al-Menfi said he was dismissing Kabir earlier this month, a move rejected by the eastern-based House of Representatives parliament and eastern commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army.

Jordanian, Iranian foreign ministers discuss Gaza and West Bank crises

Jordanian, Iranian foreign ministers discuss Gaza and West Bank crises
Updated 21 min 1 sec ago
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Jordanian, Iranian foreign ministers discuss Gaza and West Bank crises

Jordanian, Iranian foreign ministers discuss Gaza and West Bank crises
  • Safadi emphasized that halting Israeli aggression in Gaza was the first step in preventing a regional war

LONDON: Jordan’s foreign minister and his Iranian counterpart on Friday discussed increased Israeli aggression in the occupied West Bank as well as measures to end hostilities in Gaza.

Ayman Safadi and Abbas Araghchi spoke over the phone, Jordan News Agency reported.

During their conversation, Safadi emphasized that halting Israeli aggression in Gaza was the first step in preventing a regional war.

Safadi also congratulated Araghchi on his appointment and wished him well in his new position.

The two ministers followed up on the talks held by Safadi with the Araghchi’s acting predecessor Ali Bagheri Kani in Tehran on Aug. 4.

They also spoke on a variety of other topics, while emphasizing the “need to maintain open communication between the two countries in order to address any unresolved matters and build partnerships based on respect and cooperation,” Jordan News Agency added.

The two ministers agreed to meet next month at the UN General Assembly sessions in New York City.


President of the UAE allocates vaccines, funding for polio vaccination drive in Gaza

President of the UAE allocates vaccines, funding for polio vaccination drive in Gaza
Updated 59 min 56 sec ago
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President of the UAE allocates vaccines, funding for polio vaccination drive in Gaza

President of the UAE allocates vaccines, funding for polio vaccination drive in Gaza
  • Campaign supported by $5m pledge from the country 

LONDON: The president of the UAE has allocated vaccines and funding for a polio vaccination drive in Gaza following the reemergence of the virus within the territory, the Emirates News Agency reported on Friday.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan announced that the vaccination campaign would be supported by a $5 million pledge from the UAE.

The two-round vaccination campaign will be delivered in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the UN Children’s Fund, and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

It will provide more than 640,000 Palestinian children in Gaza under the age of 10 with two doses of the polio vaccine, in an effort to stop the spread of the virus and prevent a wider regional outbreak.

The campaign will begin on Sunday, WAM reported, in a staggered schedule starting in central Gaza and then moving to the south and north.

Each phase will continue for three days during area-specific humanitarian pauses announced this week, to enable children and families to access health facilities, and community workers to reach children.

Some 1.26 million doses of the polio vaccine have been delivered to Gaza in preparation for distribution, with a further 400,000 doses due to arrive soon. More than 2,100 health workers, including mobile teams, will support the delivery of both rounds of the campaign, WAM reported.

At least 90 percent vaccination coverage is needed during each round to prevent the spread of polio, given the overcrowding, displacement and severely disrupted health, water and sanitation systems within Gaza, it added.

Campaign planning began after the poliovirus was detected in Gaza in July. The World Health Organization confirmed on Aug. 23 that at least one child in Gaza had been paralyzed by the variant type 2 poliovirus, the first such case in the territory in 25 years.

Under the direction of the country’s president, the UAE has also delivered more than 40,000 tonnes of urgent supplies, including food, medical aid and shelter materials, since Israel’s military offensive against Hamas was launched in Gaza last October.

It has also established a field hospital in southern Gaza and a floating hospital at the Egyptian port of Al-Arish, providing medical care to thousands of injured Palestinians.

The UAE has established six water desalination plants in Rafah on the border with Egypt, with a capacity of 1.6 million gallons per day, supplying water to more than 600,000 Palestinians in Gaza.


Three Arab Israelis, two Egyptians injured after fight in Egypt’s Taba, sources say

Three Arab Israelis, two Egyptians injured after fight in Egypt’s Taba, sources say
Updated 9 min 15 sec ago
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Three Arab Israelis, two Egyptians injured after fight in Egypt’s Taba, sources say

Three Arab Israelis, two Egyptians injured after fight in Egypt’s Taba, sources say

TABA: Three Arab Israeli tourists and two Egyptian hotel workers were injured after a fight broke out in the Egyptian town of Taba on the border with Israel on Friday, Egyptian security sources said.

The sources said a physical altercation erupted when an Arab Israeli tourist verbally insulted an Egyptian hotel employee, sparking a melee that involved other tourists and employees.

Egypt’s Al-Qahera News television channel said one of the Egyptian workers had sustained serious injuries. It also said the fight started after several tourists refused to pay for hotel services.

There have been occasional attacks on Israelis in Egypt since the Gaza war began on Oct. 7.

One day after the war broke out, two Israeli tourists and their Egyptian guide were shot dead by a policeman in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, marking the first such attack on Israelis in Egypt in decades. 


Lebanon joins Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Green Initiative

Lebanon joins Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Green Initiative
Updated 30 August 2024
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Lebanon joins Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Green Initiative

Lebanon joins Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Green Initiative
  • Caretaker PM Najib Mikati calls move ‘essential for Lebanon’

BEIRUT: Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati confirmed on Friday that “Lebanon has joined the Green Middle East Initiative, launched by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.”

Mikati described the step as “essential for Lebanon, especially as southern villages and towns have suffered significant environmental and agricultural damage, necessitating cooperation with all of Lebanon’s friends.”

Mikati told Agriculture Minister Abbas Al-Hajj Hassan, and Environment Minister Nasser Yassin about the country’s inclusion in the initiative, and Hassan said: “Israel is destroying large areas, whether agricultural lands, fruit-bearing trees, or forests.

“Approving Lebanon’s participation in the initiative is a very positive sign for us Lebanese, the government, and especially for the Agriculture and Environment Ministries.

“The timing of today’s announcement comes amid the ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon. We thank the Kingdom for its efforts, as it has always stood by Lebanon in the toughest of times.”

Yassin said that one of the initiative’s goals was “to plant 40 billion trees across the Middle East.”

He added: “A key part of Saudi Arabia’s initiative is to protect the region, the Gulf, and Middle Eastern countries from ongoing climate change; halt land degradation and desertification; and explore ways to adapt more effectively to potential future changes.”

Yassin thanked “Saudi Arabia for agreeing to consider Lebanon’s file and for its inclusion in this very important initiative.”

He said: “This is part of the continuous and long-standing cooperation with Saudi Arabia over the decades. This initiative is timely and will be followed up by the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment and all concerned parties through joint reserves to increase vegetation cover.”

The cost of the damage to southern Lebanese border towns during the first six months of Israeli attacks has exceeded $1.5 billion, according to government figures.

The shelling and airstrikes have damaged the livelihoods of residents in the border area and their agricultural holdings.

Satellite images show the destruction of entire neighborhoods in villages along the Blue Line and the disappearance of forested areas covering mountain slopes and valleys.

Israeli attacks have displaced more than 110,000 people from dozens of villages.

Lebanese authorities have accused Israel of using phosphorus bombs to destroy forests and crops, while the Ministry of Agriculture has been unable to conduct a final assessment of the extent of the damage due to the ongoing Israeli operation.

The Ministry of Agriculture said in July: “The Israeli bombardment with white phosphorus (has) led to 700 small and large fires. More than 2,500 dunams (617 acres) of land have been completely burned, and the area of affected land consisting of forest and agricultural lands has reached 6,000 dunams (1,482 acres), with the targeted trees being olive, pine and oak.

“The damage to forested areas home to oak, Mount Tabor oak and laurel trees amounts to 55 percent, agricultural and citrus trees to 35 percent, and grasslands to 10 percent.”

Lebanese authorities are waiting for a ceasefire to conduct a final survey of the damage, but compensation is uncertain in a country that has been affected by a severe economic crisis for nearly five years.

Israeli raids on border villages continued on Friday, including valleys and forested areas, causing extensive damage.

The Israeli military fired flares over border villages near the Blue Line in the western and central sectors, reaching the outskirts of the city of Tyre. It also dropped incendiary bombs on the outskirts of the towns of Naqoura and Alma Al-Shaab.

The Israelis claimed that its warplanes “targeted several Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon.”