Israel’s PresidentIsaac Herzog has complained about the BBC’s coverage of the Hamas terrorist attack at a meeting with UK Prime MinisterRishi Sunak.

Herzog said the BBC,which broadcasts around the world and is funded by taxpayers,but is not government-controlled,was not describing Hamas as a terrorist organisation in its coverage.

“We feel that the way the BBC characterises Hamas is a distortion of the facts,” he said.

But he said he understood that in modern democracies,political leaders,could not directly intervene in media coverage.

“But because the BBC has a certain linkage and it is known as Britain as such all over the world,

“There has to be an outcry so that there will be a correction and Hamas will be defined as a terror organisation.”

Sunak agreed.

’To your last point we should call it what it is,an act of terrorism perpetrated by an evil terrorist organisation,” Sunak told Herzog.

Cabinet ministersEd HusicandAnne Alyhave won the support of union boss Sally McManuswho has called for the “collective punishment” of Palestinians to stop.

In a further sign of divisions within the Labor movement over the Israel-Hamas conflict,the ACTU boss posted a media statement on X a short time ago,calling for a ceasefire and for the Australian government to use its influence to get Israel to stop its assault on Gaza.

Israel is seeking to destroy the leadership of the terrorist organisation Hamas which sparked the current conflict with its deadly attacks and massacres of Israeli civilians,including babies and children on October 7.

As we have previously reported,the UK’s Prime MinisterRishi Sunakhas landed in Tel Aviv on a solidarity visit.

Now Britain has announced that Foreign SecretaryJames Cleverly,who was the first figure from a foreign government to visit Israel immediately after the October 7 attack,will return to the region for talks with the leaders of Egypt,Turkey and Qatar.

The UK said the meetings were aimed at preventing spillover violence which would devastate the wider region.

Two federal government ministers say civilians in Gaza are being subjected to collective punishment by Israel,exposing tensions within the Albanese government over its position on the unfolding war,as a federal Labor senator called for landmarks to be lit in the colours of the Palestinian flag.

Industry MinisterEd Husic and Early Childhood Education Minister Anne Aly,who are the only Muslims in federal cabinet,on Thursday called for Australia to step up support for Palestinians facing a humanitarian crisis.

They said Palestinian-Australians felt their lives mattered less in the unfolding political reaction to the Israel-Hamas war.

Read the full story here.

The Israel Defence Forces says Hamas is holding 203 people as hostages in Gaza.

This figure has been increasing over the last few days from initial estimates of around 150.

Hamas is refusing the pleas of Israel and world leaders to release the civilians immediately.

HelloLatika Bourkehere logging on from London to take you through this evening’s developments.

One of the lesser-noticed topics discussed in the Israel-Hamas conflict has been what economic impact the new war might have on the global economy which is already reeling from Russian PresidentVladimir Putin’sillegal invasion of Ukraine.

Israel’s currency,the Shekel,is bearing the immediate brunt,dropping this week to four against the US dollar for the first time since 2015.

Todaythe ASX plunged lower than 7000 amid investor fears that the Israel-Hamas violence might turn into a wider regional conflict.

The benchmark index on Thursday closed down 96 points,or 1.36 per cent,to a 10-day low of 6981.6,while the broader All Ordinaries dropped 93 points,or 1.28 per cent,to 7172.7.

Thank you for joining me on the blog this afternoon. I amCaitlin Fitzsimmonsand I am now handing over toLatika Bourkefor the rest of the evening.

For those just catching up,here are the main headlines:

• Developments in Israel and Gaza,and reaction around the world,has continued to be dominated by the recriminations over the deadly explosion at the Al Ahli Arab Hospital yesterday.
• The US has reviewed its intelligence over the blast and backed Israel’s claim that it was not responsible,and the cause of the explosion was instead a Palestinian rocket aimed at Israel that misfired.
• Foreign Minister Penny Wong deferred to US intelligence on the matter. Britain said it would investigate independently.
• President Joe Biden is returning to the US after his trip to Israel. He appears to have secured Israeli support for allowing some humanitarian aid into Gaza through the Egyptian border.
• British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has landed in Israel for a visit,and will also visit other countries in the region.
• In Australia,there was much political debate about comments by Labor ministers Ed Husic and Anne Aly that Palestinians were being “collectively punished” for the actions of Hamas.
• Twenty NSW MPs,including 12 from the Labor state government,signed a statement of support for Palestine.
• Australian Jewish leaders have called for unity on the release of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas. Our reporting teamMatthew KnottandKate Geraghtyare in the Middle East and have filed a report on Israeli families of hostages.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has landed in Israel,beginning a visit in which he will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog before travelling on to other regional capitals.

His office said Sunak would share his condolences for the loss of life in Israel and Gaza as a result of the October 7 attack on Israel by Gaza-based Palestinian Hamas gunmen,and warn against further escalation of conflict in the region.

“Every civilian death is a tragedy. And too many lives have been lost following Hamas’ horrific act of terror,” Sunak said in a statement ahead of his visit.

He said the Gaza hospital blast earlier this week should be “a watershed moment for leaders in the region and across the world to come together to avoid further dangerous escalation of conflict”,pledging Britain would be at “the forefront of this effort”.

Sunak will also urge the opening up of a route to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt as soon as possible,and to enable British nationals trapped in Gaza to leave.

Alongside Sunak’s visit,British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly,who visited Israel last week,will travel to Egypt,Turkey and Qatar over the next three days to discuss the conflict and seek a peaceful resolution.

Reuters