STORY: Israel besieges Gaza amid intensified conflict with Hamas, attacks on border with Lebanon
DATELINE: Oct. 10, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:06
LOCATION: Beijing
CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the conflict
2. STANDUP 1 (Arabic): NAEL BOWAITIL, Xinhua reporter in West Bank
3. STANDUP 2 (Arabic): EMAN GOMAA, Xinhua reporter in Gaza
4. STANDUP 3 (English): ZHANG TIANLANG, Xinhua correspondent in Jerusalem
5. STANDUP 4 (English): XIE HAO, Xinhua correspondent in Beirut
6. STANDUP 5 (English): LI RUI, Xinhua correspondent in Cairo

STORYLINE:

STANDUP 1 (Arabic): NAEL BOWAITIL, Xinhua reporter in West Bank
"The Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza Strip witnessed bloody hours after Hamas attacked Israeli settlements bordering the Strip last Saturday.

The escalation culminated when Israeli forces randomly bombed Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip with tons of explosives, resulting in massive property losses and casualties.

The bombing destroyed mosques and residential buildings and forced dozens of Palestinians to leave their homes and flee to shelter centers in schools operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip."

STANDUP 2 (Arabic): EMAN GOMAA, Xinhua reporter in Gaza
"Since Saturday, Palestinians have been suffering from death daily, with the death toll reaching more than 500.

From last Saturday until now, the Israeli targeting has impacted many aspects of life in the Gaza Strip, such as the power outage for more than 24 hours, the inability of municipalities and their crews to reach the devastated areas, and the complete paralysis in the ability of the government and international institutions to do anything during this bombing.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees (UNRWA) also confirmed that over 100,000 citizens fled their homes. The agency opened its schools to shelter about 70,000 people while it suffers from a deficit in providing humanitarian needs and urgent aid."

STANDUP 3 (English): ZHANG TIANLANG, Xinhua correspondent in Jerusalem
"After a relatively quiet Sunday in Jerusalem, today (Monday) I heard rocket sirens were activated two times in the city again.

This (Monday) afternoon, a group of militants infiltrated into northern Israel from Lebanon. At least two of them were killed by Israeli military. In response, the Israeli military helicopter launched an airstrike in southern Lebanon. Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the infiltration.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant today (Monday) ordered the army to intensify attacks to Gaza. He also ordered a complete siege on Gaza, cutting electricity, food, gas and water supply."

STANDUP 4 (English): XIE HAO, Xinhua correspondent in Beirut
"The Lebanese Army issued a statement on the social networking site X on Oct. 9, calling on residents near the Lebanese-Israeli border to avoid traveling to areas close to the borderline to avoid being injured in the Israeli shelling of the border.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that the government's priority is to maintain security and stability in southern Lebanon, preserve calm on the Blue Line, stop the ongoing Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty, and withdraw from the Lebanese territories that are still occupied."

STANDUP 5 (English): LI RUI, Xinhua correspondent in Cairo
"As the Palestinian-Israeli conflict enters its third day, the international mediation is continuing.

On Monday, the Secretary-General of the Arab League Aboul Gheit held a press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Moscow.

Gheit said the ongoing conflict is a result of the failure to implement the UN resolutions. He called for a political dialogue on the development of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to promote for a just solution to the relevant issues.

On Monday, Israel announced a 'total blockade' on the Gaza Strip. On the same day, the European Union also announced the suspension of aid to the Palestinians.

The World Food Program calls on all parties to abide by the principles of humanitarian law to protect the safety and food supplies of civilians."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.
(XHTV)