October 14, 2023 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 14.10.2023, 19:43
Tel-Aviv – At 16:00 hours local time (13:00 GMT), the deadline given by the Israeli Defense Forces to Palestinian civilians in the north of the Gaza Strip to leave the area safely has expired. Israel has repeatedly accused the terrorist group Hamas of using civilians as human shields. The Israeli militarys order for more than a million Palestinians to leave the northern enclave is seen as a sign that it is planning a ground offensive. The Israeli army announced on Saturday that its bombing of the Gaza Strip resulted, among other things, in the death of another Hamas leader. The bloody attack launched on October 7 by the terrorist movement resulted in the death of over 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians, and 3,200 wounded. Over 100 people, Israelis and foreigners, were taken hostage and taken to the Gaza Strip. For their part, the Palestinians announced that more than 2,200 people were killed and 10,000 wounded in the Israeli bombings of Gaza.
Repatriation — The Romanian Foreign Ministry – MAE confirmed, on Saturday, the death, in the context of the security situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip, of two more people with dual Israeli-Romanian citizenship, residing in Israel. Also, the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv is in dialogue with the Israeli authorities to verify the information regarding the disappearance of a person with dual Israeli-Romanian citizenship. All in all, four Romanians have died in this country since the outbreak of the armed conflict. On the other hand, another 58 Romanian citizens returned to Romania from Israel on Saturday, with a flight operated by a private company, the Foreign Ministry informs. Over 2,200 Romanians returned home after the Hamas attacks on Israel.
Football – On Sunday, Romania’s national football team meets Andorra, in Group I of the EURO 2024 preliminaries. The match is hosted by Bucharest, and access is only allowed to children under 14, according to a UEFA decision. In the same group, the match Switzerland versus Belarus is played. On Thursday, Romania drew 0-0 in Budapest with Belarus and remains on second place in the group, after Switzerland. Israel, whose games were postponed, and Kosovo are also part of Euro 2024 Qualifying Group I.
Paris – The Louvre Museum in Paris, the largest museum in the world, closed exceptionally on Saturday at noon for security reasons, in the context in which France raised the threat alert level following the Islamist attack committed on Friday in Arras (northern France), France Press reports. The Louvre Museum received a written message evoking a risk for the museum and for visitors, a spokeswoman for the institution said. France has once again raised the threat alert level which allows the exceptional mobilization of means, after the assassination of a teacher, who was stabbed by a young man in front of a high school from the city of Arras. This act was labeled as “Islamist terrorism” by the French President Emmanuel Macron. The Elysée Palace announced on Saturday the deployment of 7,000 soldiers on the French territory.
Tourism — Romania will be promoted as a tourist destination for one month, between October 15 and November 15, on the British BBC television station. TV producer Charlie Ottley, known for his documentaries about Romania, such as “Wild Carpathia” and “Flavors of Romania” also collaborated in designing the campaign. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism points out that the purpose of the action is to increase the visibility of Romania as a tourist destination in Europe, with special focus on Great Britain. The ministry also mentions that the BBC is available in almost all countries of the world, the content being accessible in millions of hotel rooms, on planes, cruise ships and mobile devices. (LS)