Gaza homes, schools and medical institutions flattened by Israeli airstrikes: Palestinian authorities
Homes, schools, medical institutions and government buildings were flattened in Gaza as Israeli airstrikes continued Tuesday, the Palestinian Ministry of Information said in a statement.
Here’s a breakdown provided in the statement:
Buildings:
- Fully destroyed: 168 buildings, including 1,009 residential units
- Partially destroyed: 12,630 residential units were partially destroyed.
Medical institutions: 10 bombed, including seven hospitals were bombed
Ambulances: 12 ambulances have been directly targeted
Schools: 48 schools destroyed
Government buildings: 23 destroyed
Five medical personnel and seven journalists were killed, and displaced people in Gaza are now taking shelter in 70 centers due to continued airstrikes, the statement added.
France says 8 citizens confirmed dead and 20 missing following Hamas attacks in Israel
Eight French citizens have been confirmed dead and 20 others remain missing following the Hamas attacks against Israel, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said Tuesday.
“I must inform you, with immense sadness, that we regret the death of eight compatriots in these Hamas terrorist attacks and we have lost contact with 20 French citizens who went missing near Gaza,” Colonna told the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly.
Those missing include at least one child, Colonna added, but it is possible several children are among the missing.
The numbers are likely to continue to rise — France previously said four citizens were dead and 14 missing — as Israeli authorities continue to identify victims, the foreign minister said.
Separately, the French government is in contact with Air France to organize a special flight Thursday to evacuate French citizens who wish to leave Israel, according to Colonna.
Israeli minister to discuss war developments at NATO meeting
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant is expected to take part in a meeting of NATO defence ministers via videoconference on Thursday, a Western official said.
The meeting in Brussels was previously scheduled to address issues including the war in Ukraine and NATO missions in Kosovo and Iraq but a session with Gallant was added following Hamas’ large-scale attack on Israel on Saturday, the official added.
‘Heading for a humanitarian disaster’: ICRC president
Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, has urged “the parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and take every possible step to protect civilians”.
“Without immediate restraint I fear we are heading for a humanitarian disaster,” she wrote on X.
Attacks on Palestinian journalists in West Bank on rise: Union
Attacks on journalists in the West Bank are on the rise, says Omar Nazzal, deputy head of the Palestinian Journalist Union.
“Journalists are unable to move within the West Bank and between the West Bank and Jerusalem due to Israeli restrictions,” he stated.
Journalists have also been prevented from doing their work, “all of which are carried out by Israeli authorities to stop them from showing the world the crimes that are being perpetrated against Palestinians,” he added.
177,000 people in Gaza sheltering in UNRWA schools
Around 177,000 Palestinians are taking shelter in 88 schools run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
Jenifer Austin, deputy director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, told Al Jazeera English that it has turned its schools into emergency shelters for those in Gaza looking to escape Israeli bombardment.
“We’ve got supplies for 12 days for food and water for those people,” Austin continued, adding that more people will be arriving to these shelters.
‘Overwhelming majority’ of EU states against cutting Palestinian aid: Top diplomat
“The overwhelming majority of the member states considered that we have to continue our support to the Palestinian Authority and the payments due should not be delayed,” The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers.
He made the comments a day after the European Commission backtracked on an announcement suspending Palestinian aid.
The suspension prompted rebuke from some member states, with foreign ministers meeting earlier today to discuss the situation.
Turkey denounces US aircraft carrier deployment: ‘What is it coming to do?’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised Israel’s blockade of Gaza, saying cutting off electricity and water is against international human rights law.
Erdogan also denounced US plans to send an aircraft carrier to the region suggesting the deployment could lead to “massacres”.
“What is the US aircraft carrier doing in Israel? What is it coming to do? It will take down Gaza by striking the surrounding areas and start committing serious massacres,” stressed Erdogan.
UN commission says ‘clear evidence’ of wars crimes in Gaza and Israel
There is already “clear evidence” of war crimes committed by both sides including the targeting of civilians, according to a United Nations commission monitoring the conflict.
All those who violated international humanitarian law or targeted civilians must be held accountable, demanded the commission.
“Reports that armed groups from Gaza have gunned down hundreds of unarmed civilians are abhorrent and cannot be tolerated. Taking civilian hostages and using civilians as human shields are war crimes,” it said.
The commission also added it is “gravely concerned with Israel’s latest attack on Gaza and Israel’s announcement of a complete siege on Gaza involving the withholding of water, food, electricity and fuel which will undoubtedly cost civilian lives and constitutes collective punishment”.
Oxfam warns of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ in Gaza
Oxfam has warned that a total siege on Gaza will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.
The UK-based charity has suspended all humanitarian work in the besieged coastal enclave because of ongoing air strikes and violence.
“The decision to implement a ‘total siege’ by the Israeli government, in addition to the ongoing blockade, will further deny Gazan civilians essentials like food, water and electricity,” said Mustafa Tmaizi, Oxfam’s acting country director in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel.
“This constitutes collective punishment of a population that bears no responsibility for the violence and is illegal under international law. It will not contribute to peace and security, instead, it will further fan the flames of this crisis,” he added.
Rockets fired from Lebanon toward Israel, prompting Israeli military to respond with artillery fire
Rockets were fired from south Lebanon toward Israel, according to Al Manar. Hezbollah did not claim that it fired the rockets.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded with artillery fire, it said, after “launches” were “identified from Lebanese territory toward Israeli territory.”
The United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced it detected rocket firing from south of Tyre in Lebanon.
“We continue to be in contact with authorities on both sides of the Blue Line to de-escalate this very dangerous situation,” UNIFIL noted, adding, “We urge everyone to exercise restraint at this critical time.” The Blue Line separates Lebanon and Israel.
Palestinian death toll reaches 830
The Palestinian death toll from four days of Israeli air strikes in Gaza has reached 830, the health ministry confirmed. More than 4,250 others have been wounded.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have killed at least 19 Palestinians in the West Bank.
Huge barrage of rockets fired from Gaza
A huge barrage of rockets were fired from Gaza.
Hamas announced it fired hundreds of rockets on Ashkelon in “response to the displacement of civilians in Gaza”.
This comes after a Hamas spokesperson issued a warning to the residents of the southern Israeli city to leave the city before 5 p.m. local time.
A video shared by Hamas showed rockets flying through the sky with people taking cover on the side of the road in Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces said sirens were sounded in area surrounding the Gaza Strip.
International humanitarian law prohibits a siege of Gaza: UN human rights commissioner
The imposition of sieges that endanger civilians by depriving them of essential goods “is prohibited under international humanitarian law,” Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), said Tuesday.
Shamdasani’s comments come a day after Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza, saying he would halt the supply of electricity, food, water and fuel to the Palestinian enclave following Hamas’ devastating surprise attack over the weekend.
“These risks (are) seriously compounding the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the capacity of medical facilities to operate, especially in light of the increasing number of injured people,” Shamdasani said Tuesday, speaking at a news conference in Geneva with UN humanitarian office representative Jens Laerke.
Laerke stated Tuesday the decision to cut off the water supply to Gaza affects more than 610,000 people and “will result in severe shortage of drinking water.”
“We remain extremely alarmed by these rapidly escalating events,” Laerke continued, adding that displacement across the Gaza Strip has reached more than 187,500 people since Saturday.
“Since Saturday, four schools and eight health care facilities in Gaza have sustained damage. Destruction of infrastructure and streets has hindered the movement of civil defense and medical teams trying to reach victims,” he said, adding that health care, water and sanitation facilities have also sustained damage.
Death toll rises to more than 1,000 in Hamas attacks: Israeli embassy in US
More than 1,000 people were killed in an attack by Hamas on Israel over the weekend, according to the Israeli Embassy in the US.
The death toll now stands at 1,008, with at least 3,418 injured, the embassy wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The Israel Defense Forces has announced it “cannot confirm or deny” these reports from the embassy. An IDF spokesperson stated that it is aware of over 900 deaths.
Hamas warns Ashkelon residents to leave city before 5 p.m. local time
A Hamas spokesperson on Tuesday issued a warning to the residents of the southern city of Ashkelon to leave the city before 5 p.m. local time.
The warning is in response to the “crime of displacing our people and forcing them to flee their homes” in the Gaza strip, the spokesperson added.
No further details were provided in the statement, which was shared by Hamas on Telegram.
US is taking the possibility of American hostages “seriously”: National Security Council
The US is still not aware of any American citizens taken hostage by Hamas, but concerns remain “high” as US President Joe Biden’s administration offers Israel assistance, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby told CNN Tuesday.
“Our concerns were high immediately. You can’t take a threat like that lightly. You’ve got to take it seriously, because of the barbarity that Hamas has already shown that they’re capable of. So obviously, we’re watching it very, very closely. We have talked to the Israelis about offering them additional intelligence information as well as hostage recovery expertise,” Kirby stated during an appearance on “CNN This Morning.”
Pressed on what lengths the US is willing to go to bring possible American hostages home, Kirby said the administration will “work with might and main,” but declined to speculate.
“We don’t know if there are Americans in this population, we don’t know where they are, we don’t know how they’re being held, and it’s an active warzone – so that complicates the options. But clearly, we’re going to do everything we can to help with this hostage crisis, with or without Americans being in the population,” he added.
Kirby also declined to say whether the Biden administration has issued any warnings to Israel as it mounts its response.
“We don’t want to see any innocent civilians killed anywhere in the world, and that certainly includes in Gaza and in Israel. And sadly, there have been too many innocent civilians that have already been killed in this conflict by Hamas now, almost 1000 Israeli citizens. But we also know that as a vibrant democracy, Israel shares many of our values and interests and certainly. one of those values is that respect for life, and we’re always better together when we are observing that respect for life and for the laws of war as well,” he continued.
There is still “no direct evidence” that Iran was involved in the sourcing or planning of these attacks, Kirby reiterated, though he said there is a “level of complicity.”
Red Cross calls for hostages to be “released unharmed”
The violence in Israel and Gaza has the “potential to escalate dramatically,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned in a statement on Tuesday, as the organization’s president called for the safe release of hostages.
“Amid the devastating violence – the premeditated killings of civilians, and the bombings in residential neighborhoods – a worrying sign is that few voices of de-escalation have been heard,” the ICRC statement said.
“Heightened war rhetoric, in our experience, leads to greater civilian suffering,” it noted, adding that without “immediate restraint, we are heading for a humanitarian disaster.”
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric was quoted in the statement calling for all hostages to be “immediately released unharmed” in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Additionally, authorities must ensure civilians have access to water, food, and medical care, “irrespective of any military siege,” Spoljaric said.
“ICRC teams are working closely with the Magen David Adom (MDA) and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to assist those who are wounded or sick and in need,” she added, noting her organization had sent medical supplies to a hospital in Gaza.
Palestinian death toll updates slow due to ‘internet and communication network’ disruption
The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza announced it is facing difficulties updating the death toll regularly due to disruptions to internet and communication networks.
The blackouts come after Israel said it would cut the besieged strip’s access to water, food, fuel and electricity.
In the latest death toll, the ministry said at least 770 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli shelling and over 4,000 wounded.
At least 18 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the flare-up started on Saturday.
More than 120 Israeli soldiers died in Hamas attacks
At least 123 Israeli soldiers were killed in the attacks by Hamas that began early Saturday, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said.
Those 123 dead are included in the death toll of more than 900 people previously reported by the Israeli army.
Hagari added that the families of 50 Israeli hostages have been contacted by security forces.
Hamas has claimed it is holding more than 100 captives, including Israeli army officers.
4 French citizens have been reported dead
Four French citizens were among those killed in the Hamas attacks in Israel, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Tuesday.
Thirteen more are also missing, and the ministry has no information on their whereabouts.
The statement added the situation is “very worrying” as some of those unaccounted for have “very probably been kidnapped.”
Israeli, Palestinian FMs invited to address EU meeting
The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has stated he has invited top diplomats from Israel and the Palestinian Authority to address an emergency meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers on Tuesday.
Borrell said Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki were asked to participate.
Israel says it has evacuated nearly all residents living next to Gaza
The Israeli army has announced on Tuesday it has almost completely evacuated all Israelis living along the Gaza separation fence.
“There are families and officials who chose to stay, and therefore they stay,” read a statement.
UNRWA: Situation in Gaza ‘extremely worrying’ amid Israeli bombardment
The United Nations relief agency for Palestinian refugees warns that it is “extremely worrying” that tens of thousands of Gaza residents, who have fled their homes due to the continuous bombardment by Israel, are unable to access basic services.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, UNRWA spokesperson Tamara al-Rifai confirmed that all 14 distribution centres in Gaza are being shut due to the latest conflict, adding that the agency’s Gaza headquarters also “sustained significant damage” following a bombardment of a nearby area overnight. A total of 18 UNRWA buildings have been damaged.
“It is extremely damaging for people. For us, it is extremely worrying that they cannot access any of these basic services,” al-Rifai added.
The latest UNRWA figures show at least 137,000 people have sought shelter after they were displaced from their homes since Saturday.
WHO calls for humanitarian corridor into Gaza
The World Health Organization has called for a humanitarian corridor into the Gaza Strip.
“WHO is calling for an end to the violence… A humanitarian corridor is needed to reach people with critical medical supplies,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told a press briefing in Geneva.
The WHO announced 13 attacks have hit health facilities in Gaza since the escalation began and that pre-positioned medical supplies have already been used up.
UN expects ‘severe shortage’ of drinking water in Gaza due to Israeli cuts
The United Nations’s humanitarian office has confirmed that four schools and eight healthcare facilities in Gaza have sustained damage since Saturday.
It stressed it expects a “severe shortage” of drinking water in Gaza due to the cuts announced by Israeli authorities.
The UN’s human rights chief has also noted, citing information gathered by his office, Israeli air attacks on Gaza have struck residential buildings, including large tower blocks, as well as schools and UN buildings resulting in civilian casualties.
“International humanitarian law is clear: the obligation to take constant care to spare the civilian population and civilian objects remains applicable throughout the attacks,” Volker Turk said in a statement.
In response to Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s announcement of a “total blockade” for the Gaza strip, Turk stated that “sieges” that endanger the lives of civilians are prohibited under international law.
Death toll in Gaza goes up to 770
At least 770 Palestinians have been killed and 4,000 wounded in Israeli air raids, the Health Ministry in Gaza said.
Among the dead are 140 children and 120 women, a ministry spokesperson stated.
At least 18 people have been killed and 100 injured in the occupied West Bank since Saturday.
Gaza health ministry appeals for ‘safe corridor’ for medical aid
The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza has called for the opening of a “safe corridor to ensure the entry of urgent medical aid” into the territory’s hospitals, which are now overwhelmed with the dead and wounded.
It said Israeli forces targeted four ambulances east of the city of Khan Younis overnight and that bombing of the city of Beit Hanoon has put its only hospital out of service.
“There continues to be a lack of electricity to operate the health care system. This threatens the lives of all sick and injured people,” the health ministry added in a separate statement.
US supports Israel’s defense against “Hamas’ terrorist attack”: Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Monday to discuss support for Israel as it “defends itself against Hamas’ terrorist attack”, according to a readout of the call.
Blinken extended condolences to the foreign minister and reaffirmed US efforts to secure the release of hostages captured by Hamas fighters.
On Monday, President Joe Biden said in a statement it was “likely” that American citizens may be among those being held captive.
Killing Gaza hostages “will not make things better”: IDF
Killing hostages “will not make things better”, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said Tuesday, a day after Hamas threatened to execute civilian captives if Israel targets Gaza without warning.
Israeli authorities believe women and children are among up to 150 hostages being held by militants in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has claimed it is holding more than 100 captives, including high-ranking Israeli army officers.
“If they harm one of these grandmothers or one of these babies or one of these children, it will not make things better and they know it,” IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht stressed.
Number of displaced people in Gaza exceeds 187,518
The number of displaced people in Gaza now exceeds 187,518, and is expected to increase further as Israel continues to pound the besieged territory with airstrikes and artillery, the UN said.
Over 137,427 of the displaced people are taking shelter in UNRWA schools. But the facilities managed by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees are nearing capacity as Israel continues its heavy bombardment of the besieged enclave.
The fighting has already forced the UN to close all 14 food distribution centres in Gaza —leaving half a million people without vital food aid, the UN added.
Since strikes began in the Gaza Strip, 13 healthcare facilities have been hit.
Israeli air raids have damaged three facilities used for water, sanitation and hygiene, undermining services to over 400,000 in Gaza city and the Northern Area of the Gaza Strip, the UN announced.
IDF says it has “more or less” restored full control over border fence with Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have “more or less” restored full control over the border fence with Gaza, after it was breached by Hamas fighters launching their surprise attack on Saturday, according to IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht.
“Looking towards the south, we have more or less restored full control over the border fence. Hopefully in the next few hours it will be final,” he said in a briefing on Tuesday.
Hecht stated Israeli forces have secured communities around the border and have nearly completed evacuations in the area.
“We are focusing our offensive in the Gaza Strip and our airstrikes,” he added.
IDF adds “tens of thousands” of additional troops along border with Lebanon after deadly clash
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has amplified its presence along the border with Lebanon, adding tens of thousands of additional troops after clashes in the disputed region, according to IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus.
“The situation [on the Lebanon border] is volatile. We are vigilant. We have added tens of thousands of additional troops along the border — reservists as well as regular units — in anticipation of a Hezbollah attack,” Conricus told CNN.
“We have strongly urged them to think twice before they embark on any such attack against Israel,” he said, adding, “So far in the last few hours, the situation has been quiet. Let’s hope it remains like that.”
Lebanon and Israel are considered enemy states, but a truce between the two has largely held since a conflict between them in 2006.
There have been several small-scale rocket attacks in recent years from Lebanon that have prompted retaliatory strikes from Israel. Palestinian factions in Lebanon were believed to be behind those rocket attacks.
On Monday, the IDF claimed militants had infiltrated from Lebanon into Israeli territory, with a “number of armed suspects” killed and IDF troops searching the area. An IDF officer died after an “encounter” with the militants, Israeli hospital officials confirmed.
It came after Hezbollah on Monday announced three of its members died during an Israeli air raid in southern Lebanon.
Up to 150 hostages in Gaza as Israel aims to “obliterate Hamas terrorist capabilities”: UN envoy
Israeli authorities believe up to 150 hostages are being held in Gaza as it lays siege to the enclave in an effort to “obliterate Hamas terrorist capabilities,” Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said late Monday.
Speaking to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan stated while authorities hoped those held captive would return home safely, their situation would not “prevent us from doing what we need to do in order to secure the future of Israel.”
“We have an unprecedented number of hostages,” Erdan said, estimating the number was between 100 and 150.
“We expect the Red Cross, we expect all international organizations to focus on these hostages and how they are treated and that they receive treatment according to international law, but it’s not going to stop us, prevent us from doing what we need to do in order to secure the future of Israel.”
Hamas has announced civilian hostages would be executed and the killings broadcast if Israel targets people in Gaza without warning. The group claims to be holding more than 100 hostages, including Israeli army officers.
Erdan, the Israeli ambassador, told CNN Monday “we cannot restore security for the citizens of Israel if Hamas continues with its military buildup.”
“Of course, we want to see all of our boys, girls, grandmothers, everyone who was abducted we want to see them back home, but right now, our focus is looking at our national strategy is to obliterate Hamas terrorist capabilities,” he added.
At least 11 Americans killed in Israel with others likely being held hostage by Hamas: Biden
At least 11 American citizens have been confirmed to have been killed in Israel, President Joe Biden said in a statement.
He also stated that it is “likely” that American citizens may be among those being held hostage by Hamas, and that his administration is working with Israeli officials on “every aspect of the hostage crisis.”
Biden also added that there are American citizens whose whereabouts remain unaccounted for.
IDF is committed to “making sure Hamas doesn’t have any military capabilities” by war’s end: Spokesperson
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are committed to ensuring Hamas “doesn’t have any military capabilities” by the end of the war, Lt Col. Jonathan Conricus, IDF international spokesperson, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday.
There have been attempts by Hamas militants to breach the southern border for suicide missions to kill civilians and soldiers, Conricus said, as fighting between Israel and Hamas intensifies.
And in response, the IDF has saturated the southern border with troops and continued conducting air strikes while working to rebuild their defense systems, Conricus added.
“The issue here is that we have been tasked with mitigating or making sure that Hamas doesn’t have any military capabilities at the end of the war. And that will be achieved,” Conricus explained.
“What happens on the way and how we implement that task will be seen. But at this stage, we continue to strike from the air. And there are plans to, of course, expand that. And the troops, the reserves, and the regular units that are amassing along the southern border are readying for their tasks,” he continued.
US has no intention of putting troops on ground in Israel: White House
There is no intention to send US troops into Israel in the wake of the horrific attacks over the weekend, the White House said Monday.
“There’s no intention to put US boots on the ground,” National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters in a call Monday.
But, he stated, President Joe Biden would “always make sure that we are protecting and defending our national security interests wherever those interests are, including, particularly in that part of the world. And I think I’ll leave it at that.”
Kirby added that the first tranche of additional US security assistance to Israel in response to the attacks was on the way as of Monday evening.
“I don’t believe it’s actually made it to Israel yet, it’s making its way there,” he said, adding, “We fully expect that there will be additional requests for security systems from Israel as they continue to expend munitions in this fight, and we will stay in lockstep with them.”
US top general speaks to Israeli counterpart for first time in discussions to “bolster regional deterrence”
The top US general spoke to his Israeli counterpart for the first time, the Pentagon said, as Israel broadens its campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. CQ Brown expressed his condolences for the victims of the terrorist attack and discussed the situation on the ground with Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, according to a readout of the call.
The two also discussed bolstering the US military posture in the region to establish regional deterrence and committed to remaining in close contact.
“The two military leaders discussed the security situation on the ground, as well as steps to strengthen the US military posture in the region and bolster regional deterrence efforts,” the readout said.
This is the first time the two top generals had spoken since Brown was confirmed as Chair of the Joint Chiefs in September.
The call comes after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Yaov Gallant, on Sunday and Saturday.
5 Palestinian medical staff killed in Israeli strikes: Gaza health ministry
The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said Israeli forces killed five medical staff and injured 10 others in what it described as targeted attacks.
The ministry accused Israel of “persistent and deliberate targeting of civilian neighborhoods, health facilities, and notably, medical and rescue crews, as well as ambulance vehicles.”
The emergency response community has been working nonstop to monitor and respond to the ongoing situation under immense risk and challenges, spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said in a news conference on Monday.
“The Israeli occupation has expanded its targeting parameters to medical service clinics, hospitals, and ambulances, which resulted in the killing of five medical crew members and injuring 10 others. Additionally, Israeli strikes have targeted hospitals, rendering Beit Hanoun hospital inoperable. Medical crews have been hindered from entering or exiting the hospital, depriving the injured of its services,” he stated.
Seventeen people have been killed and 90 are injured across various parts of the West Bank, according to a statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The dead included three children, it confirmed.
The 17 deaths occurred in Ramallah, Jerusalem, Nablus, Jericho, Qalqilya, and Hebron.
The nature and severity of the 90 injuries vary, officials say.
Clashes erupted in several areas of the occupied West Bank amid a closure imposed by the Israeli army after the Hamas attack on Saturday morning.
Gaza’s death toll has also risen to 687 people, including 140 children, according to a statement by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza on Monday.
The number of injured has reached 3,726 — 10% of them children — since the Israeli strikes began, the ministry added.
Over 137,000 people are taking cover at UN shelters in Gaza: UN Relief Works Agency
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said late Monday its emergency shelters in Gaza are at 90% capacity with more than 137,000 people taking cover from Israeli strikes.
The agency announced 83 UNRWA schools have been turned into shelters.
It added that one UN school housing displaced families was “directly hit,” without giving further details. It’s unknown how many people were in the shelter at the time of the attack.
UNRWA also said they had been forced to close all 14 food distribution centers, writing in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “as a result half a million people have stopped receiving vital food aid.”
Hezbollah fires on northern Israel after three of its members killed by Israeli shelling
Hezbollah announced that it has fired rockets on areas in northern Israel, in response to the killing of three of its members from Israeli fire.
Three members of Hezbollah were killed on Monday from Israeli shelling, as fighting near the border with Lebanon escalates.
Israel has claimed it detected a number of rockets fired from Lebanon on Monday evening, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. The Israeli military announced it is targeting three positions in Lebanon.
Hezbollah noted they have not undertaken any operations in Lebanon.
Palestinian president calls on UN to intervene
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the United Nations to immediately intervene to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe after the “ongoing Israeli aggression, especially in Gaza”, according to Wafa, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency.
Abbas earlier on Monday spoke with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine.
President Erdogan stated it was ready to take a mediator role in the current conflict, saying that peace cannot be restored “unless a free, sovereign Palestinian state is established”.
At least 85 soldiers among those killed during Hamas attack on Israel: IDF
Atleast 85 of the people killed in the Hamas attacks were Israeli soldiers, according to the chief spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces.
Overall, at least 900 people were killed by Hamas, Israel’s Army Radio separately reported on Monday.
“Hundreds” of Hamas militants have been killed in Gaza in recent Israeli attacks, said IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari.
The IDF has finished the evacuation of Israeli civilians living near Gaza, he added.
The entire length of the fence across the border with Gaza is covered with tanks and air coverage, Hagari continued.
“Our fighters are going house by house … there are no militants crossing the fence right now,” he said, adding more than 300,000 Israeli reservists have been called up.
Biden directs coordination with Israel ‘on all aspects of the crisis’
US President Biden has met with top officials in his cabinet, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to discuss the situation in the Middle East.
The White House also announced in a statement Biden will speak with close allies about the latest developments.
“He directed his team to follow up on coordination with Israel on all aspects of the crisis and to continue their work with regional partners to warn anyone who might seek to take advantage in this situation,” the White House noted.
Netanyahu: Air attacks in Gaza just the beginning, ‘hard days are coming’ for Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the current bombardment on the Gaza Strip is “just the beginning”, without elaborating further on whether a ground invasion will follow.
Netanyahu said in a televised speech that the Israeli military is going on the offense against Hamas with a force “like never before”.
“We always knew who Hamas was. Now, the rest of the world knows. Hamas is Daesh and we will win against them as the modern world prevailed against Daesh,” Netanyahu added.
“This enemy wanted war and this this is what they will get,” he said.
He added that Israel would do everything to free captives being held in Gaza, but warned that “hard days are coming” for Israel, possibly setting the scene for a conflict that could take weeks, or even longer, to conclude.
He confirmed that there are still some Palestinian fighters inside Israel, after having first infiltrated from the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
He has also called for a coalition government with the opposition.
Hamas open to truce: Senior official
Hamas is open to discussions over a possible truce with Israel, having “achieved its targets”, a senior official has said.
Moussa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera in a phone interview that Hamas was open to “something of that sort” and to “all political dialogues” when asked whether the group is willing to discuss a possible ceasefire.
He also added that Hamas had captured “tens” of dual citizens from Israel, including those with Russian and Chinese citizenship.
Three Hezbollah fighter killed in Israeli attacks
Hezbollah has confirmed the death of three fighter from the group amid Israeli shelling, according to several Lebanese media outlets.
The situation along the Israeli-Lebanese border has been tense amid periodic Israeli bombardment on Monday, with the potential to drag Hezbollah into the wider conflict.
UN secretary-general calls for Hamas to cease attacks and release hostages
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for Hamas to cease its attacks on Israel and release hostages.
In remarks on Monday, he also urged all parties to allow UN access to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip.
Guterres reiterated that only negotiated peace and “the long-held vision of a two-State solution,” can bring stability to the region.
The secretary-general condemned the “abhorrent attacks by Hamas and others against Israeli towns and villages in the Gaza periphery.”
Guterres added that while he recognized “the legitimate grievances of the Palestinian people,” nothing can justify acts of terror, maiming, killing and the abduction of civilians.
“I am deeply distressed by today’s announcement that Israel will initiate a complete siege of the Gaza Strip, nothing allowed in — no electricity, food, or fuel,” the secretary-general stressed.
Civilian hostages will be executed if Gaza attacks continue without warning: Hamas
The spokesperson of al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced civilian hostages will be executed and the killings will be broadcasted if Israel targets people in Gaza without warning.
“We declare that we will respond to any targeting of our people who are safe in their homes without warning, with the execution of our civilian hostages, and we will broadcast it with audio and video,” Abu Obaida said in a statement posted to al Qassam Brigades’ Telegram channel Monday.
Hamas claims it is holding more than 100 hostages, including Israeli army officers.
The spokesman stated that al-Qassam would “not negotiate the issue of prisoners [while] under fire”, and said that “threats and pressure” would not succeed in pushing the group to negotiate.
Abu Ubaida added that Israel had to be ready to “pay the price” if it wanted the captives to be returned.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has stated that the Israeli authorities now believe that 100 people were taken captive by Hamas and taken to Gaza.
Israel is at war with Hamas following the “brutal slaughter of civilians”, Cohen continued, adding that Hamas’ attack is a “historical massacre that the world will not forget, and Israel will never forgive.”
Israeli army warns attacks on Gaza to continue even if threat to captives
Israeli Army Radio reports that air strikes on Gaza will continue even if that bombardment threatens the lives of Israeli captives.
“Attacks on the Gaza Strip will be carried out powerfully and widely, even at the cost of harming Israeli hostages who are in captivity in Gaza,” said the broadcaster, which is operated by the Israeli military.
The report, however, clarified that Israeli forces would avoid attacking areas where intelligence indicates captives are being held.
EU Commission suspends all Palestinian funding until further review following Hamas attack
The European Union’s Commission is suspending all Palestinian funding until further review following the Hamas attack on Israel, an official stated Monday.
“The scale of terror and brutality against Israel and its people is a turning point,” Neighborhood and Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, said in a series of posts on social media.
“There can be no business as usual.”
As the biggest donor for the Palestinians, the European Commission is putting its full development portfolio under review, which is worth a about 691 million euros ($728 million) he said. This included:
- All payments are immediately suspended.
- All projects are put under review.
- All new budget proposals, including for 2023, are postponed until further notice.
- Comprehensive assessment of the whole portfolio is being conducted.
“The foundations for peace, tolerance and co-existence must now be addressed,” Varhelyi said.
“Incitement to hatred, violence and glorification of terror have poisoned the minds of too many,” he continued, adding, “We need action and we need it now.”
US warns against anyone seeking ‘to take advantage’ of violence
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan stated Washington is working with its partners “to warn anyone who might seek to take advantage in this situation”.
He also said in a social media post he spoke with Israeli officials to reiterate President Joe Biden’s “unwavering support for Israel” and discuss next steps.
“We are also doing all we can to determine the whereabouts of missing US citizens,” Sullivan added.
Rights group decries Israeli ‘call to commit war crime’
The rights group Human Rights Watch has slammed as “abhorrent” Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s call for the imposition of a total siege on Gaza – including cutting off food, fuel and electricity.
“Depriving the population in occupied territory of food and electricity is collective punishment, which is a war crime, as is using starvation as a weapon of war,” Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at HRW, said in a statement.
“The International Criminal Court should take note of this call to commit a war crime.”
Israel now targeting medical teams and hospitals: Gaza health ministry
Gaza’s ministry of health said that Israel has extended the scope of its attacks to include medical crews and hospitals.
“We ask that a [humanitarian] corridor is opened to allow medical supplies to reach hospitals in the Gaza Strip,” a spokesperson stated, warning that the situation in Gaza’s hospitals in critical due to a lack of medicine and fuel.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza and West Bank: 704
Israel has killed at least 704 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since October 7, according to the health ministry.
In Gaza:
- 687 dead — 140 of them children, 105 women
- 3,800 injured
In the West Bank:
- 17 dead — 3 of them children (2 in Ramallah, 4 in Jerusalem, 2 in Jericho, 1 in Qalqilia, 6 in Hebron, 2 in Nablus)
- 90 Palestinians injured
