Tel Aviv: Israel is escalating its bombardment of targets in the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected ground invasion against Hamas militants. The war is rapidly raising the death toll in Gaza, and the U.S. fears the fighting could spark a wider conflict in the region. Hamas officials say Israeli air attacks in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of at least 700 Palestinians in the last 24 hours.
The war, in its 18th day Tuesday, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-led Health Ministry said at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed and 15,270 wounded in the airstrikes carried out by Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza since October 7. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids.
More than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed in Israel after Hamas attacked Israeli towns from the Gaza border on October 7. In addition to that, at least 222 people including foreigners were believed captured by Hamas during the incursion and taken into Gaza. Four of them have been released since then.
Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the Hamas attack on Israeli towns on Oct. 7. The aid convoys allowed into Gaza so far have carried a fraction of what's needed, and the U.N. said distribution will have to stop if there's no fuel for the trucks.
Here’s what’s happening in the latest Israel-Hamas war:
Israel has demanded the resignation of United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres from his position over his remarks against the Israeli counteroffensive in Gaza after terror attacks by Hamas on October 7. The Israeli envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan called Guterres "unfit" to lead the UN and called for his resignation.
Israeli armed forces have dropped leaflets in Gaza asking Palestinians to share information about hostages being held by Hamas and offering them protection and a reward. "If your will is to live in peace and to have a better future for your children, do the humanitarian deed immediately and share verified and valuable information about hostages being held in your area. The Israeli military assures you that it will invest maximum effort in providing security for you and your home, and you will receive a financial reward. We guarantee you complete confidentiality," Israeli Defense Forces posted on X, formerly Twitter. They also shared phone numbers to pass on the information.
- Over 700 Palestinians killed in last 24 hrs
The Gaza health ministry says that at least 704 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the last 24 hours. This takes the toll of Palestinians killed to 5,791, including 2,360 children, since October 7. Israel has been bombing Gaza since Hamas militants attacked southern Israeli towns on Oct. 7.
That has brought the death toll from the war to 5,791, including 2,360 children, ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said in a statement. At least 16,297 others were wounded, he said. He said they have received 1,550 reports of missing people, including 870 children, suggesting that those missing could still be under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
The World Health Organization said 12 hospitals out of a total of 35 in Gaza were not functioning as of Monday. It said 46 out of 72 health care facilities across Gaza, or 64%, were not operating, mostly in Gaza city and northern Gaza. Al-Qidra said the health facilities went out of service because of the attacks or because of a lack of fuel to keep them operating. “The Health Ministry announces a total collapse of hospitals in Gaza Strip,” he said.
A Health Ministry report issued Tuesday said 61 Palestinian medical workers and professionals have been killed since Oct. 7. Al-Qidra called for the Egyptian government to open the Rafah crossing point and ensure the delivery of medical supplies and fuel to Gaza and allow the wounded to be treated in Egypt. Egypt says it didn’t close the crossing, but Israeli airstrikes on its Palestinian side forced its closure.
- Saudi Arabia evacuates diplomats in Beirut, Airport Officials say
Lebanese airport officials say Saudi Arabia has evacuated its diplomats and employees at the embassy in Beirut on two military planes that left Lebanon’s capital on Tuesday. There was no official announcement from Saudi authorities, but the move came days after Saudi Arabia urged its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately. The officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations said Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and the military attache did not leave the country. The officials said about 65 people left Lebanon Tuesday afternoon.
- WHO calls for immediate ceasefire, says Humanitarian situation is desperate
The U.N. health agency on Tuesday called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza to be able to distribute fuel and essential, life-saving health supplies, including to major hospitals in the strip’s northern half. “For people in the Gaza Strip, the situation is desperate. It will become catastrophic without the safe and continuous passage of fuel and health supplies, and additional humanitarian assistance,” the World Health Organization said in a statement.
The organization said some health facilities in northern Gaza, including the territory’s largest Shifa hospital, were waiting for WHO’s supplies and fuel. Among them is the Indonesian hospital, which suffered a brief power outage and was forced to shutter some critical services due to lack of fuel. Gaza’s only oncology hospital, the Turkish Friendship Hospital, remains partially functional, putting around 2000 cancer patients at risk, the agency added.
Supported by U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the health agency said it delivered 34000 litres (8981.85 gallons) of fuel Monday to four major hospitals in southern Gaza and the Palestine Red Crescent. Such an amount was only enough to keep ambulances and critical hospital functions running for a little over 24 hours. It also distributed medicine and other supplies to key hospitals in southern Gaza, as well as the Palestine Red Crescent.
- Pregnant woman survives airstrike, delivers healthy baby
Navine Abu Owdah’s apartment in Khan Younis was hit by an airstrike on Tuesday, badly injuring the heavily pregnant 30-year-old. Owdah was quickly rushed to the nearby hospital of al-Amal where thankfully doctors managed to deliver a healthy baby girl. “A cesarean section was performed in the emergency department, and her baby girl, who is in good condition, was delivered,” doctor Salim Saqer said, speaking to The Associated Press from just outside the operating room. Navine, who suffered multiple fractures and has abdominal bleeding, remains under observation and is receiving treatment.
- UN Chief says situation in Middle East growing more dire
The United Nations chief is warning that “the situation in the Middle East is growing more dire by the hour,” with the risk of the latest Israel-Hamas war spiraling through the region as tensions threaten to boil over. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and appealed “to all to pull back from the brink before the violence claims even more lives and spreads even farther.”
He told the U.N. Security Council’s monthly Middle East meeting — which has been turned into a high-level event with more than a dozen foreign ministers flying to New York — that the rules of war must be obeyed. Guterres said the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify “the horrifying and unprecedented Oct. 7 acts of terror” by Hamas in Israel, and he demanded the immediate release of all hostages.
He also stressed that “those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.” He called Israel’s constant bombardment of Gaza and the level of civilian casualties “alarming,” stressing that their protection in conflict is paramount.
- Top Hamas official calls deaths in Gaza unprecedented
A top Hamas official says the killings that people are being subjected to in Gaza are unprecedented. Ghazi Hamad told reporters in Beirut that Israel is carrying out “brutal and savage acts against people” adding that in addition to the more than 5,700 people killed, more than 17,000 people have been wounded so far.
“The death toll is changing every second,” Hamad said. “The counter is rising amid killings, destruction and revenge.” He said that among the dead were 57 doctors, nurses and paramedics, and that 27 ambulances were destroyed. Hamad said 122 entire families were killed, meaning that the parents were killed along with their children with no one left alive.
- Erdogan criticizes UN, international community
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday criticized the United Nations and the international community for failing to stop what he described as “massacres reaching the level of genocide” in Gaza. In a message released to mark the U.N.’s 78th anniversary, Erdogan said the international community had scored poorly in the face of “Israel’s unlawful and boundless attacks” toward civilians.
He also criticized the U.N. Security Council saying it had rendered other U.N. agencies operating in the Palestinian territories “dysfunctional.” The council's monthly Mideast meeting on Tuesday was turned into a high-level event with more than a dozen foreign ministers flying to New York.
- Israeli airstrike hits refugee camp, killing several and wounding dozens
An airstrike hit a bustling marketplace in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing several shoppers and wounding dozens, witnesses said. Men used sledgehammers to break up concrete and dug with their bare hands through the jagged wreckage to save anyone they could -– or recover the dead who had been buying meat and vegetables when the explosion hit.
A man buried up to his chest in rubble looked up at his rescuers with wide eyes, his face coated in dust from the blast. An oxygen mask was placed on his face as rescuers worked to free him. About 15 minutes, he was unearthed and placed on a stretcher. A roar rose from the dozens of men watching, several with their arms raised in triumph as they cheered the rescue.
- Macron says fight must be without mercy, but not without rules
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking after meeting Israel's prime minister on Tuesday, proposed a coalition to fight terror groups in the region “that threaten all of us.” He compared the proposal to the international coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. He was referring to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran itself and the Houtis in Yemen, among others, saying they must not take the risk of opening a new front.
Standing at the side of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Macron stressed Israel’s right to defend itself in its war with Hamas. “The fight must be without mercy, but not without rules” because democracies “respect the rules of war,” Macron said, adding that for example democracies don’t target civilians. His statement appeared to be a message to Israel, which has been criticized by some for attacks that have killed Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. He called for access to aid for Gaza and for electricity to be supplied to Gaza hospitals — not for making war.
- Netanyahu reiterates Hamas must be destroyed, says war might take time
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at a press briefing on Tuesday, said that Hamas must be destroyed and warned that the war may take some time. Netanyahu said it is Hamas that is responsible for civilian casualties, but that “we will do every effort to avoid them.” He added, “It could be a long war.” “Hamas must be destroyed,” Netanyahu said, calling it a condition for ending the war.
- Israel military official says no intention of curbing air strikes
Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi has suggested Israel has no intention of curbing its deadly air strikes on Gaza. “We want to bring Hamas to a state of full dismantling,” Halevi said in a statement. “We are well prepared for the ground operations in the south.” Israeli military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari said the military was “ready and determined” for the next stage in the war, and is awaiting political instruction.
- IDF strikes over 400 'terrorist targets' in 24hrs
Israel said Tuesday it struck over 400 militant targets throughout the besieged Gaza Strip over the previous 24 hours. "In a wide-scale operation to dismantle Hamas' terrorist capabilities, the IDF struck over 400 terrorist targets in the past 24 hours: Hamas gunmen setting up to fire rockets toward Israel. A Hamas operational tunnel shaft allowing terrorists to infiltrate Israel through the sea. Hamas command centers used by operatives and staging armaments in Mosques. The IDF will continue operating in order to ensure the safety of innocent civilians," IDF said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
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In a wide-scale operation to dismantle Hamas' terrorist capabilities, the IDF struck over 400 terrorist targets in the past 24hrs:
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 24, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
🔺Hamas gunmen setting up to fire rockets toward Israel.
🔺A Hamas operational tunnel shaft allowing terrorists to infiltrate Israel through the…
">In a wide-scale operation to dismantle Hamas' terrorist capabilities, the IDF struck over 400 terrorist targets in the past 24hrs:
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 24, 2023
🔺Hamas gunmen setting up to fire rockets toward Israel.
🔺A Hamas operational tunnel shaft allowing terrorists to infiltrate Israel through the…In a wide-scale operation to dismantle Hamas' terrorist capabilities, the IDF struck over 400 terrorist targets in the past 24hrs:
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 24, 2023
🔺Hamas gunmen setting up to fire rockets toward Israel.
🔺A Hamas operational tunnel shaft allowing terrorists to infiltrate Israel through the…
Yocheved Lifshitz, an 85-year-old woman released by Hamas, told reporters Tuesday that the militants beat her with sticks, bruising her ribs and making it hard to breathe, as they kidnapped her during their attack on towns in southern Israel on Oct. 7. They drove her into Gaza, then forced her to walk several kilometres (miles) on wet ground to reach a network of tunnels that looked like a spider web, she said. Lifshitz is one of only four hostages to be released — and the first to speak publicly — of the more than 220 believed held by Hamas. She said the people assigned to guard her “told us they are people who believe in the Quran and wouldn’t hurt us.” Lifshitz, whose husband remains a hostage, said that after she and four other people were taken into a room, they were treated well, conditions were clean, and they received medical care, including medication. They ate one meal a day of cheese and cucumber, she said, adding that her captors ate the same.
Israeli air strikes on homes kill 28 people in Rafah
Israeli fighter jets pounded several homes overnight in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, killing at least 28 people, according to the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. The ministry reported other airstrikes across the besieged territory which it said left dozens dead. In Khan Younis, an Israeli airstrike hit a building in a refugee area late Tuesday morning, leaving many casualties. An Associated Press journalist saw ambulances bringing two dead and two wounded people from the strike.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said the airstrike in densely populated Khan Younis hit a house near its hospital, Al-Amal. It said the airstrike caused panic at the hospital and its shelter centre, which houses 4,000 people who fled their homes in northern Gaza because of the bombardments. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have moved to southern Gaza, including Rafah, which borders Egypt, after Israel told civilians to flee southward ahead of an expected ground invasion. However, Israel has continued its attacks across Gaza’s southern areas.
- UN says some aid to Gaza not usable because of water, fuel shortages
The U.N. aid agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, says some of the aid trucked into Gaza is “not very usable,” such as lentils and rice that require increasingly scarce fresh water and fuel to be cooked. UNRWA spokesperson Tamira Alrifai said a total of 54 aid trucks have entered Gaza over the last several days, a “trickle” compared to the 500-odd truck deliveries, carrying both aid and commercial goods, a day in times of relative peace.
“My colleagues told me that in one of the shipments over the last couple of days, we received boxes of rice and lentils -- donated very, very generously,” she said from Amman by video call to a U.N. briefing in Geneva. “But for people to cook lentils and rice, they need water and gas. And therefore, these kinds of supplies — while very generous and well-intended — are not very usable.”
Alrifai praised the “very spontaneous giving and donations” flown into Egypt for delivery to Gaza through the Rafah crossing, from various countries, “especially Arab countries.” She called for coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent and “very, very clear guidance from the humanitarian groups that are on the ground.” “Of course, everything is being closely coordinated with my U.N. colleagues and with U.N. agencies. But we will need to get better as a consortium of humanitarians in sending very explicit lists of what is most needed,” Alrifai said. She said U.N. negotiators were “very, very far away” from getting the full ability to provide needed aid to Gaza.
- US sends military advisers to Israel to assist IDF in war planning
The U.S. Department of Defense is assisting Israel in its war planning by sending military advisers. The United States has promised major defense aid to Israel since the October 7 assault by Hamas. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed that the United States has sent a “few” military advisers to Israel. The officers have experience in “the sorts of operations that Israel is conducting, and may conduct in the future” and were “over there to share some perspectives,” Kirby said.
“We have asked several officials with relevant experience simply to help Israeli officials think through the difficult questions ahead and explore their options. The IDF will, as always, make its own decisions,” a Pentagon spokesperson added.
- Qatar's ruling Emir says Israel shouldn't have a 'green light' to kill
The ruling emir of the small Middle East nation of Qatar, which hosts an office of Hamas and has served as an intermediary in hostage negotiations, said Tuesday that it "is untenable for Israel to be given an unconditional green light and free license to kill.”
The comments by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Qatar’s consultative Shura Council come as negotiations continue to free more of the approximately 200 hostages Hamas has held since its Oct. 7 assault on Israel. About 1,400 people in Israel died in the assault, while the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip says over 5,700 people have died in Israeli airstrikes since then.
“We are against attacks on innocent civilians, regardless of their nationality, by any party,” Sheikh Tamim said. “But we do not accept double standards, nor do we accept acting as if the Palestinian children’s lives are not worth to be reckoned with, as though they are faceless or nameless.”
He added: “We are saying enough is enough. It is untenable for Israel to be given an unconditional green light and free license to kill, nor it is tenable to continue ignoring the reality of occupation, siege and settlement. It should not be allowed in our time to use cutting off water and preventing medicine and food as weapons against an entire population.”
- Israeli airstrike hits residential building killing 32 people
An overnight Israeli airstrike hit a 4-story residential building in the city of Khan Younis, killing at least 32 people and wounding scores of others, according to survivors. The fatalities included 13 from the Saqallah family in the Qarraha area, east of Khan Younis, said Ammar al-Butta, a relative who survived the airstrike. He said about 100 people, including his family and many others, had sheltered there.
The victims were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. An Associated Press video showed about a dozen bodies in white body bags lying on the ground outside the main gate of the hospital. One woman was weeping while another tried to console her. “We were hosting our relatives from Gaza and the northern cities,” al-Butta said, speaking from the hospital. “They were sheltering at our home because we thought that our area would be safe. But apparently, there is no safe place in Gaza.”
Osama al-Bashity, another relative, said they couldn’t recognize the dead. “We recognized them through the clothes they wore, who wore these trousers, or that T-shirt,” he said. “They turned into pieces.”
- French President Macron expresses support, urges release of hostages
French President Emmanuel Macron said during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem on Tuesday that he came to Israel “to express our support and solidarity and share your pain.” After arriving at Tel Aviv airport, Macron met with the families of 18 Franco-Israeli people who have been killed, are being held hostage or are missing.
“The first objective we should have today is the release of all hostages without any distinction because this is an awful crime to play with lives of children, adults, old people, civilians, soldiers,” Macron said. He said he wanted to ensure Israel it is “not left alone in the war against terrorism.” "We will do whatever we can to restore peace, security and stability for your country and the whole region,” he added. French authorities said 30 French nationals were killed in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and nine others are missing or are being held hostage.
- 15 Palestinians from same family buried in mass grave
Fifteen members of the same family were among at least 33 Palestinians buried in a mass grave at a Gaza hospital on Monday after they were killed by Israeli airstrikes. A harried-looking doctor in green scrubs walked past as bodies in white sheets were loaded into the back of a pickup truck. Men discussed where to fit the shrouded corpse of a small child between two adults. The bodies were laid to rest side-by-side in a shallow, sandy grave in the courtyard of al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, an ambulance parked nearby. “Bring them all,” a gravedigger called out.
- 35 workers at UN AGency for Palestinian refugees have died
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said six of its workers have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, bringing the total to 35 dead since Oct. 7. In a statement late Monday, the agency, known as UNRWA, said 18 other workers were wounded. UNRWA said it found shrapnel in its facilities in the Bureij camp and in Nuseirat in central Gaza from Israel’s bombardment of nearby areas Sunday.
- Israel extends start of academic year
The start of the academic year at Israel’s universities and colleges has been delayed again, this time by nearly a month, suggesting the country is expecting extended fighting in the Gaza Strip. The academic year initially had been scheduled to begin on Oct. 19. After two previous delays, the Association of University Heads decided that studies wouldn’t begin until Dec. 3, Israel Army Radio reported. (With AP inputs)
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