Speaking to reporters as he was about to board the plane that would take him to Israel, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that “the US had Israel’s back – today, tomorrow and every day”.

“We stand resolutely against terrorism and we have seen the almost indescribable acts created by Hamas,” he added, adding the situation was “simply heart-breaking”.

He went on to say he would meet prime minister Netanyahu when he arrived in Israel, as well as president Isaac Herzog and other senior officials, reiterating the US would give Israel “everything it needed”.

Going on to talk about the US nationals that were still unaccounted for, he said their whereabouts would be determined and if it turned out they had been taken hostage by Hamas, they would work to secure their release.

Eleven UN staff have now been killed in the Gaza strip, according to an update.

In a statement, external, Jennifer Austin, deputy director for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), says she is "saddened" to confirm the deaths of her colleagues.

She notes that among the dead were five teachers at UNRWA schools, one gynaecologist, one engineer, one psychological counsellor and three support staff.

“Some were killed in their homes with their families," Austin adds.

A separate update, external from the Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry says four Red Crescent paramedics were killed on duty by Israeli strikes on Gaza.

Image source, Getty Images

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have put out an update saying troops in southern Israel "identified a number of vehicles with terrorists in", close to Kibbutz Nir Am.

A tank "fired at them and killed three terrorists", the IDF said.

IDF soldiers are now carrying out more searches in the area, the force says.

The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for essential supplies of food, fuel and water to be allowed to reach civilians in Gaza under Israeli bombardment and blockade.

"Crucial lifesaving supplies including fuel, food and water must be allowed into Gaza. We need rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access now," he said.

"I want to thank Egypt for its constructive engagement to facilitate humanitarian access through the Rafah crossing and to make the El Arish airport available for critical assistance."

More to follow.

The US is working with Israel and Egypt on potential safe passage for some civilians out of Gaza, the White House says.

The Biden administration is having "active discussions" to try to help Gaza civilians leave safely, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.

"We believe that safe passage is important and we want to see a safe passage corridor opened up," he added.

Earlier, we reported that the Egyptian government was holding discussions with Israel, Hamas, the US and the United Nations to reach a humanitarian truce to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Anna Foster
Reporting from northern Israel

I am in northern Israel close to the Lebanon-Israel border. Earlier there were reports of infiltrations from Lebanon.

I was in one of the border communities at the time. People who live there have armed themselves in case of potential Hezbollah infiltrations.

The suggestion that there was an aerial infiltration came with some rumours that there were paragliders.

Now the Israeli military has checked and they believe it was a false alarm. But it just shows you the nervousness here.

The northern border is crucial. Nobody wants this war to extend across the region, which is a real fear not just here, but internationally too.

Rushdi Abu Alouf
BBC News, Gaza City

By 8pm here in Gaza, when the night wave of air strikes usually starts, I could already hear Israeli aircraft flying over the Strip.

Today, the power authority decided to shut down the only power station in Gaza because the fuel is running out, and that will affect some essential services, such as the hospitals.

The Hamas-run health ministry here has said the hospitals now have to limit their work to life-saving treatment, so at the moment they won't treat anyone who is not in a life-threatening condition.

Satellite images show scale of destructionpublished at 18:47 British Summer Time 11 October 2023

18:47 BST 11 October 2023

With Israeli strikes targeting Gaza for days now, BBC Verify has been trying to assess the scale of destruction.

One of the heaviest-hit areas appears to be Rimal - a busy residential neighbourhood in northern Gaza.

As these satellite images show, many buildings in the area were destroyed between 9 and 10 October.

Visual clues in the images - such as the remaining buildings and the road patterns - have been matched up with older satellite imagery to confirm the location.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says certain areas were targeted because they were used “by operatives in the anti-tank force of the terrorist organisation”.

Yolande Knell
Reporting from Jerusalem

This afternoon we've seen an Israeli emergency government formed, with opposition leader Benny Gantz joining the existing government to manage the war.

A new war cabinet has been formed - it will include Gantz, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the defence minister Yoav Gallant.

This will give broader national consensus to military action. It also brings to the war cabinet two voices who are experts in military strategy. Both Gantz and also Gadi Eisenkot, who joins as an observer, are former IDF chiefs of staff.

It's also an indication of how the country has been changed by these unprecedented attacks.

The new emergency government is being formed at a time when there’s been deep political division in Israel, with hundreds of thousands of people joining protests against Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government.

Rebecca Wearn
Reporting from Bradford

While members of the Jewish community and their supporters gathered in Manchester this afternoon, a march in support of the Palestinians has been taking place in Bradford.

Numbers swelled as the March progressed - with over two hundred people marching in the afternoon.

From a microphone attached to a small truck with speakers, screens & music came shouts of “Free! Free!” - followed by “Palestine!” from those assembled.

Flags were held aloft and draped around shoulders and collection buckets for those in Gaza were being rattled. Motorists stopped to honk their horns.

Those gathered were largely from the local Muslim community.

Fiona Trott
Reporting from Manchester

In Manchester, members of the Jewish community and supporters gathered earlier on Wednesday for a vigil for those killed in Israel following attacks by Hamas.

Among them were Gabbi Cohen, Vhaagwamt Singh and Hannah Frais. Here's what they told us:

We reported a statement from Israel Defense Forces (IDF) earlier saying it had received reports of a suspected infiltration from Lebanon into Israeli airspace, and that sirens had been sounding out across northern Israel.

The IDF has jut released a new statement saying: "A suspected infiltration has been ruled out."

US State Department has confirmed at least 22 US citizens have been killed in the Hamas attacks in Israel on Saturday.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected," said a State Department spokesperson on Wednesday afternoon.

This is a rise from the 14 confirmed dead yesterday by President Biden.

Rushdi Abu Alouf
BBC News, Gaza City

An Egyptian security official has told the BBC that “under the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Egyptian government is conducting intensive contacts and discussions with the parties concerned, especially the United States and the United Nations, to reach a humanitarian truce so that it can provide humanitarian aid, medical and food to the Gaza Strip”.

"Through the Rafah land border crossing, Egypt also continues contacts around the clock with Hamas and Israel for this goal. Five days have passed since the war, as it creates conditions that increase the suffering of civilians," the security source said.

Another official familiar with the talks told the BBC that a possible six-hour-pause to allow humanitarian corridor is being discussed with the concerned parties.

UN chief António Guterres has similarly warned of reported attacks from southern Lebanon, stressing an urgent need to avoid spillover of the conflict into Israel.

“I appeal to all parties and those who have influence over those parties to avoid any further escalation and spillover," he said today.

"I call for immediate release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Civilians must be protected at all times. International humanitarian law must be respected and upheld.”

The White House are watching developments happening on the Israel-Lebanon border closely, said National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby during an interview on TV channel MSNBC.

"It is worrisome", Kirby said.

Earlier, Israel Defence Forces said that it had received reports of suspected infiltration from Lebanon into Israeli airspace.

All civilians in the areas where sirens were sounded were asked to enter shelters and stay in them until further notice, the IDF said.

Three Palestinians have been killed by gunfire from Israeli forces and settlers in Qusra near the city of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Foreign Affairs., external Nine others were injured, it said.

The BBC has approached the Israeli military for a comment on the incident.

In recent months there has been a rise in violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war. Israelis have built settlements there which most countries deem to be illegal under international law, although Israel disagrees.

Image source, Jake Marlowe

The parents of UK citizen Jake Marlowe, 26 have, along with Israeli embassy in London, confirmed that he was killed in Saturday's attack.

Lisa and Michael Marlowe posted on social media:

"We are heartbroken to have to inform you the crushing news that our son Jake has been confirmed dead in Southern Israel.

"Repatriation plans are being put in to place, more information will follow. Please respect our privacy at this most devastating time."

Marlowe had moved to Israel from Britain two years ago, and had been working as a security guard at the Supernova music festival, where 260 people were killed when it was stormed by gunmen who had entered Israel from Gaza.

After he was reported missing, his mother Lisa had told the Jewish News site that he called her "to say all these rockets were flying over," and then later to tell her "signal very bad, everything OK, will keep you updated I promise you".

You can read the information on the missing and dead British citizens here.

It's just gone 19:00 local time in Israel, where the sun is setting on another day of violence. Here are the key developments so far from today:

• Gaza's only power station has run out of fuel after Israel cut access to electricity, fuel, goods and water supplies
• The Israeli military says it has massed its troops near the border with Gaza, now "ready to execute the mission we have been given"
• Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz agreed to form an emergency government and "war cabinet"
• The death toll in Israel from the Hamas attacks has reached 1,200
• More than 1,100 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza
• Israel's military said its aircraft attacked an observation post inside Lebanon in response to an attack by Hezbollah
• Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is in Israel to demonstrate the UK's "unwavering solidarity"
• Meanwhile, King Charles has condemned the "barbaric acts of terrorism" in Israel, according to sources

The death toll in Gaza from the Israeli air strikes has risen to 1,100, an update from the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in the territory says.

An earlier update put the total number of deaths at 1,000.

According to the new figures, posted on Facebook, external, the ministry says the total number of people injured now stands at 5,339.