Europe

11 October 2023; MEMO: NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg, on Wednesday, said Israel has the “right to defend itself” but added that any response was expected to be “proportionate”, Anadolu Agency reports.

On the most recent developments in the ongoing conflict between Palestinian group, Hamas, and Israel, Stoltenberg said it was “important as this conflict continues to do whatever is possible to prevent the loss of innocent civilian lives.”

12 October 2023; MEMO: Austria’s plans for an evacuation of its citizens from Israel by military aircraft on Wednesday were thwarted when its only available C-130 Hercules had a technical failure, forcing the country to book seats on a commercial flight instead, Reuters reports.

12 October 2023; MEMO: The deputy director of UNRWA affairs in the Gaza Strip has confirmed that 11 members of the agency’s staff and personnel have been killed in the Israeli bombardment of the besieged territory.

“I am very saddened to confirm that 11 UNRWA colleagues have been killed since 7 October in the Gaza Strip,” said Jennifer Austin. “They included five teachers at UNRWA schools, one gynaecologist, one engineer, one psychological counsellor and three support staff.”

12 October 2023; MEMO: Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his country’s support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and the implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions.

9 October 2023; MEMO: Russia and the Arab League should contribute to ending the bloodshed in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, said on Monday, Anadolu Agency reports.

"Russia and the Arab League, all members of this organisation, can and should contribute to solving problems, first of all, ending the bloodshed and suffering of civilians" Russia’s top diplomat said at his meeting with the Arab League Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, in Moscow.

9 October 2023; MEMO: Swiss travel agencies on Monday began cancelling trips to Israel due to the ongoing tension in the region, Anadolu Agency reports.

This came after the Swiss Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning earlier in the day.

It is not recommended to travel to Israel for tourist trips and any other travel that is not of an emergency nature

the Ministry said in a statement.

10 October 2023; MEMO: UEFA confirmed, on Tuesday morning, that Italy and Turkiye will host Euro 2032, Football Italia reports.

According to the report, the two countries had started as individual bidders but decided to join forces and submitted a joint bid to stage the competition.

UEFA also confirmed on Tuesday that Ireland and the UK will host Euro 2028, the report added.

10 October 2023; MEMO: Israel’s total siege of the Gaza Strip, depriving civilians of goods essential for survival, is banned under international law, the United Nations Human Rights chief said on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

According to the report, Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said people’s dignity and lives had to be respected as he called for all sides to defuse the “explosive powder-keg situation.”

MOSCOW, October 10. /TASS/: Renouncing the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is necessary for leveling the playing field with the United States, and Moscow expects that Washington should perceive this signal properly, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.

MOSCOW, October 10. /TASS/: Russia is taking measures to clarify whether any Russian nationals may be among the hostages being held by the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"We are in touch with the Palestinians," the Kremlin official told journalists. "Indeed, there was some information that individuals with Russian citizenship are purportedly among the hostages," he said.

According to Peskov, "the necessary interaction is maintained in order to find out whether it is true or not, and what the future fate of these people is."