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Added on the 12/05/2021 07:24:06 - Copyright : AFP EN
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says that the Middle East needs "calm heads to prevail" after Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory. "We'll be working with our allies to de-escalate the situation and I look forward to speaking to G7 leaders later this afternoon," Sunak tells reporters in Downing Street. SOUNDBITE
Demonstrators gather in central London to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Israeli aerial bombardments has claimed dozens more victims in the Gaza Strip today, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health, while the first ship loaded with aid is ready to set sail from Cyprus for the famine-stricken Palestinian territory. IMAGES
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg calls for a halt in the fighting in Gaza to be prolonged to allow for more aid and the release of hostages. "I call for an extension of the pause. This would allow for much needed relief to the people of Gaza and the release of more hostages," Stoltenberg tells journalists in Brussels. SOUNDBITE
Images show Palestinians fleeing the northern part of the Gaza Strip and heading to the south. The majority of Gaza's 2.4 million residents have been displaced by the fighting, with around 1.5 million fleeing within the territory, according to the United Nations. IMAGES
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls for "action to end this godawful nightmare" during the International Peace Summit in Cairo. SOUNDBITE
A military ship is seen in the morning off the Israeli coast, near the border with Lebanon. Lebanon's Hezbollah said it fired missiles on Israel Wednesday drawing retaliatory fire, after three members of the Iran-backed group were killed earlier this week amid soaring border tensions. IMAGES