STORY: Palestinian-Israeli conflict: Fire exchange continues as int'l community steps up efforts in providing aid
DATELINE: Oct. 20, 2023
LENGTH: 0:02:20
LOCATION: Ramallah/Jerusalem/Cairo
CATEGORY: POLITICS/MILITARY

SHOTLIST:
1. STANDUP 1 (English): OHOOD AL-JAGHOUB, Xinhua reporter in Ramallah
2. STANDUP 2 (English): WANG ZHUOLUN, Xinhua correspondent in Jerusalem
3. STANDUP 3 (English): YANG YIRAN, Xinhua correspondent in Cairo
4. STANDUP 4 (English): AHMED GOMAA, Xinhua reporter
5. SOUNDBITE (English): ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN Secretary-General

STORYLINE:

STANDUP 1 (English): OHOOD AL-JAGHOUB, Xinhua reporter in Ramallah
"Last night, Israel bombed a building that belongs to one of the oldest churches in the world which was built 1,600 years ago, Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza, as over 500 Palestinians were seeking refuge in the church while fire and rocket exchange persists and intensifies between Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah.
The arrest campaign continues, while confrontations between the Israeli army and the Palestinians erupted in multiple cities."

STANDUP 2 (English): WANG ZHUOLUN, Xinhua correspondent in Jerusalem
"The Israeli army said in the morning it struck several more sites belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon overnight in response to Tuesday's rocket and missile fire on northern Israel. Entering the 14th day of this round of large-scale Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Israeli Health Ministry said on Friday that 1,400 Israelis were killed and at least 203 were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip."

STANDUP 3 (English): YANG YIRAN, Xinhua correspondent in Cairo
"The plan of delivering humanitarian supplies to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing has been delayed again on Friday.
On Thursday, some 165 trucks carrying aid were stuck on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing. Israel had agreed to open the crossing for the delivery of water, food, and medicine. However, it is still uncertain when they will allow that to happen."

STANDUP 4 (English): AHMED GOMAA, Xinhua reporter
"I'm standing 20 km away from Rafah crossing.
The Egyptian Red Crescent has prepared 20 shipments to send to the Gaza Strip.
These trucks will move later on to Rafah crossing.
We are now at a check point that is supervised by the Egyptian army to prepare and fill in the trucks."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited the Rafah border crossing Friday to encourage the transfer of humanitarian aid.

SOUNDBITE (English): ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN Secretary-General
"We absolutely need to have these trucks moving as quickly as possible, and as many as necessary. But for that, these must be a sustained effort to provide enough support to the Gaza people."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ramallah/Jerusalem/Cairo.
(XHTV)