Paltel Group, which provides communications services in Gaza, announced on Sunday that landline, mobile and internet services were gradually being restored after being disrupted by “ongoing aggression.”

“Our technical teams are diligently addressing the damage to the internal network infrastructure under challenging conditions,” the telecom said in a statement.

“May God protect you all and our Country.”

The Jawwal Telecommunication Company also announced Sunday that its telecommunication services were “gradually being restored.”

In a separate update posted on X (formerly Twitter), the internet monitoring organization NetBlocks said that internet traffic was being restored in Gaza.

“Confirmed: Real-time network data show that internet connectivity is being restored in the Gaza Strip; service was disrupted on Friday amid heavy bombardment by Israel, leaving most residents cut off from the outside world at a critical moment,” the message said.

Qatari-owned telecommunications company Ooredoo, which also provides cellular service in Gaza, did not provide an update on any resumption of service.

Gaza had been under a near-total communications blackout for nearly 36 hours following Israeli air attacks on Friday that Palestinian telecoms providers said knocked out communications lines and towers.

Rights organisations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch had warned that the lack of communications in the enclave was hampering efforts to document war crimes and other abuses.

On Saturday, Elon Musk said he would offer his Starlink satellite internet service to “internationally recognised aid organisations” in Gaza, prompting protests by Israel.

“HAMAS will use it for terrorist activities,” Israel’s communication minister Shlomo Karhi wrote on X.

“Perhaps Musk would be willing to condition it with the release of our abducted babies, sons, daughters, elderly people. All of them! By then, my office will cut any ties with starlink.”

“We are ready to conduct an immediate prisoner exchange deal that includes the release of all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in exchange for all prisoners held by the Palestinian resistance,” Sinwar said in a statement.

Sinwar has also ordered the preparation of lists of all Palestinians in Israeli jails.

Qatar has been conducting behind-the-scenes diplomacy for more than three weeks, speaking to Hamas officials and Israel to promote peace and secure the release of hostages. Its mediation last week led to the release of two American hostages, a mother and daughter, and two elderly Israeli women.

There are 19 prisons within Israel and one inside the occupied West Bank that hold thousands of Palestinian prisoners.

Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obaida had earlier claimed Israeli air raids and shelling have killed 50 captives.

The “price” of returning all the captives in Gaza is the release of all Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons – estimated at about 6,600 people.

“If the enemy wants to resolve this issue, we are ready,” he continued, adding, “If the enemy wants to close this file of detainees in one go, we are ready for it. If it wants to do it step-by-step, we are ready for that, too.”

Some 229 hostages are being held in the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli army.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his government will do everything possible to bring the captives held by Hamas home.

The idea of a swap deal of hostages for Palestinian prisoners has been discussed within the war cabinet but there was no decision on the move, he added.

Netanyahu did not commit to any exchange deal, but told the families Israeli authorities would “exhaust every option to bring them [the hostages] home”.

Families of hostages held in Gaza say they told Netanyahu they would only accept an “everyone in return for everyone” deal, which would secure the immediate release of all hostages. The families held a news conference shortly after meeting Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Saturday.

Many families of captives also protested in Tel Aviv demanding the return of their loved ones being held in Gaza. People hold up placards with the words “Bring them home now” and pictures of their missing loved ones.

But, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has stated the more pressure put on Hamas, the greater chance of returning hostages being held.

The statement appears meant to respond to criticism that Israeli ground operations in Gaza would scuttle negotiations over captive releases.

Several Western countries and families of those held have reportedly pressured Israel to delay a ground incursion into Gaza in the hope more can be freed.

“Hamas will use it for terrorist activities,” Kahri claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter), adding that “there is no doubt about it, we know it, and Musk knows it.”

In response, the tech billionaire said he is “not so naive,” explaining how the proposed scheme would work, while promising to “do a security check with both the US and Israeli governments before turning on even a single terminal.”

“Per my post, no Starlink terminal has attempted to connect from Gaza. If one does, we will take extraordinary measures to confirm that it is used *only* for purely humanitarian reasons,” Musk added.

Earlier on Saturday, Musk stated that he would open the Starlink satellite network to “internationally recognized aid organizations” working in Gaza, after a wave of Israeli airstrikes severed the enclave’s last phone and internet connections with the outside world.

Internet and cell phone services stopped working in Gaza on Friday night after a wave of Israeli airstrikes. The outage left news organizations and aid groups unable to reach their workers, with the UN children’s agency (UNICEF), the World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross, and Red Crescent all reporting no contact from their employees. RT Arabic was also temporarily unable to contact its correspondents and photographers in Gaza.

Musk’s plan would mark the second time that he has deployed Starlink to a combat zone. Shortly after the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, the tech tycoon supplied Kiev with Starlink terminals. However, he fell out of favor when he barred the Ukrainian military from using the network to guide drone strikes on Russian ships in the Black Sea.

“In the initial weeks of the war, we launched massive airstrikes that dealt a severe blow to the enemy… We eliminated many terrorists,” the PM stated in his address to the Israelis on Saturday night.

In three weeks of Israeli air raids, the death toll in Gaza has exceeded 8,000 people, “half of whom are children”, the health ministry in the Palestinian enclave told AFP early Sunday. It remains unclear how many of the casualties were actual combatants.

“However, we are only at the beginning of the road. The battle within the Gaza Strip will be difficult and long,” Netanyahu warned, while stressing that “this is our second War of Independence. This is our mission, our purpose in life, and together we will prevail”.

The IDF’s expansion of its operation comes almost three weeks after Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack on Israel, hammering Israeli towns and cities with rockets and raiding settlements near the Gaza border. Around 1,400 Israelis have been killed since the war began, and over 200 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.

“Last night, additional ground forces entered Gaza, marking the beginning of the second stage of the war, whose goal is to destroy the military and political capabilities of Hamas and to bring our kidnapped citizens back,” Netanyahu declared.

Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza with airstrikes throughout Friday and Saturday nights, as ground troops and armor were launched in a significant incursion into the Palestinian enclave. It is unclear, however, whether the ongoing “expanded” ground operations will be followed by a larger invasion. There are concerns that a full-scale invasion may result in heavy Israeli casualties and trigger an escalation with other regional players, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also stated on Saturday that Israel has “moved on to a new phase in the war”, and added that ground operations in Gaza will continue “until new orders are given”.

Gallant has confirmed military operations against Hamas have progressed, stating, “We moved to a new phase in the war.”

“Tonight, the ground in Gaza shook. We attacked above ground and below ground. We attacked terrorist operatives at all levels, in all places. The instructions to our forces are clear: the operation will continue until a new order is given.”

Palestinian Health Ministry wants international community to put pressure on Israel

World Food Programme says 40 more aid trucks expected to enter Gaza but it “needs more”

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Representative and Country Director for Palestine Samer Abdeljaber told CNN that 40 more aid trucks are expected to enter Gaza on Sunday amid a worsening humanitarian situation.

“We hope today we will be able to allow more trucks into Gaza – 40 trucks are expected to be crossing. However, we have to also note that that’s not enough compared to the soaring needs… at the moment in Gaza, we need more than that,” Abdeljaber said.

“Just for WFP to be able to reach 1 million people, we need 40 trucks a day. If we’re going to be supporting 2 million people, we need 100 trucks of food,” he added.

The trucks going into the strip include food, water and medical supplies, but not fuel, according to Abdeljaber.

Abdeljaber went on to say that the blackout that happened with telecommunication over the weekend presented a “major challenge” for the World Food Programme.

“We couldn’t coordinate on the ground to facilitate for the trucks to go in,” he continued.

Communications in the enclave — including cellular and internet connectivity — were partially restored on Sunday morning, according to two service providers and a monitoring group.

“Luckily today, it’s gradually coming back, but after 36 (hours) of no communication on the ground with our staff, with our partners, even just to plan for the crossing and transshipment of the trucks was a major challenge and that is something that shows how vulnerable the whole situation is if something as simple as communication is not provided for us to be able to operate,” Abdeljaber stated.

UN warns “civil order” starting to breaking down in Gaza as thousands steal basics from warehouses

The main UN agency in Gaza has warned civil order is breaking down, saying “thousands” of people have broken into some of its warehouses “taking wheat flour and other basic survival items like hygiene supplies.”

One of the warehouses in the city of Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, is where the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) stores supplies from humanitarian convoys coming from Egypt, the agency announced in a statement.

“This is a worrying sign that civil order is starting to break down after three weeks of war and a tight siege on Gaza. People are scared, frustrated and desperate,” stated Thomas White, director of UNRWA Affairs in the Gaza Strip.

“Tensions and fear are made worse by the cuts in the phones and internet communication lines. They feel that they are on their own, cut off from their families inside Gaza and the rest of the world,” White added.

The “massive” displacement of people from northern Gaza to the south “has placed enormous pressure on those communities, adding further burden on crumbling public services,” the agency said. Some families have received as many as 50 relatives who are taking shelter in one household, it added.

“Supplies on the market are running out while the humanitarian aid coming into the Gaza Strip on trucks from Egypt is insufficient. The needs of the communities are immense, if only for basic survival, while the aid we receive is meagre and inconsistent,” White said.

Just over 80 trucks of aid have crossed into Gaza in one week so far, and on Saturday there was no convoy due to the blackout in communications, the agency announced.

“The current system of convoys is geared to fail. Very few trucks, slow processes, strict inspections, supplies that do not match the requirements of UNRWA and the other aid organizations, and mostly the ongoing ban on fuel, are all a recipe for a failed system,” White continued, adding, “We call for a regular and steady flow line of humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip to respond to the needs especially as tensions and frustrations grow,” he added. ”

Following the restoration of internet services, UNRWA teams in Gaza “will reassess the situation with the aim of resuming convoys and distribution of assistance,” the agency noted.

Netanyahu apologises for controversial tweet

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologised for a tweet in which he blamed Israel’s security agencies for the failures that led to the October 7 attack.

Netanyahu had tweeted that he was not presented with any intelligence ahead of Hamas’s attack. He pinned the blame on the army’s chief and the head of the Shin Bet for having judged that the armed group was “deterred”.

“I was wrong. The things I said should not have been said and I apologize for that. I give full backing to all the heads of the security arms,” Netanyahu said on X.

His apology came following a stormy morning for the PM as politicians from across the political spectrum criticised him for inflaming division within the Israeli establishment.

Death toll in Gaza surpasses 8,000

Al-Quds Brigades says its fighters wounded Israeli soldiers in northwest Gaza

At least 30 hospitals, health centres in Gaza are shut now

Health ministry officials have told Al Jazeera that at least 30 hospitals and health centres have shut down in Gaza since Israel started its war on the enclave. They have run out of medical and fuel supplies.

Several hospitals have had to enforce part closures. In Nasr Hospital, only the emergency department is operating. Every other department had to close.

More hospitals are expected to shut down completely in the coming hours and days if no supplies are allowed into Gaza.

Israel orders al-Quds Hospital in Gaza Strip to evacuate

Israeli jets bomb areas near Gaza’s biggest hospital

West Bank death toll rises to 114 Palestinians

UN Security Council meeting scheduled for Monday

A UN Security Council meeting called by the United Arab Emirates has now been officially scheduled for Monday afternoon after 3pm New York time (19:00 GMT).

The council will discuss the situation in Gaza after previously scheduled meetings on Western Sahara and Colombia.

The UAE requested the meeting on Saturday after Israel’s expanded ground operations in Gaza.

To date, the UN Security Council has failed to reach an agreement on four different resolutions calling for a ceasefire, or shorter humanitarian pause, since the current escalation of violence began this month.

Humanitarian situation in Gaza a “catastrophic failing”: Red Cross committee president

The International Committee of the Red Cross has called for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities in Gaza and delivery of humanitarian aid.

“It is unacceptable that civilians have no safe place to go in Gaza amid the massive bombardments, and with a military siege in place there is also no adequate humanitarian response currently possible. This is a catastrophic failing that the world must not tolerate,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement Saturday.

Spoljaric added that the “immediate imperative must be to save lives” by ensuring healthcare services, water, and electricity are restored in Gaza.

“Under international humanitarian law, the parties are obligated to spare civilians from the effects of military operations at all times, to distinguish between civilians and military targets, and to never use human shields to prevent military objectives from being attacked,” Spoljaric stated.

The ICRC also called for the “immediate release of all hostages” and reiterated the organization’s previous offer to facilitate any future hostage release operation.

Palestinian Authority president urges Arab League to gather in emergency summit

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has called on the leaders of Arab nations to convene an emergency Arab League summit in response to Israel’s operation in Gaza.

“Israel responded to the UN resolution yesterday with more bombing and destruction,” Abbas said in a speech Saturday from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution on Friday, initiated by Jordan, which calls for a halt in hostilities between Israel and Hamas. The resolution faced strong opposition from both the United States and Israel, along with 12 other countries that voted against it.

Abbas advocated for immediate action from the international community and Arab leaders to put an end to the ongoing “aggression”.

He stressed the necessity of bringing in humanitarian aid and implementing measures to prevent further displacement of Palestinians.

MSF decries ‘weak’ actions of world leaders on humanitarian aid

Families of hostages meet with Netanyahu to call for “comprehensive deal” to return all hostages

Families of hostages held in Gaza say they told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu they would only accept an “everyone in return for everyone” deal, which would secure the immediate release of all hostages.

The families held a news conference shortly after meeting Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Saturday, just before the prime minister held his own media briefing, where he announced the launch of the second stage of the war in Gaza.

“We spoke bluntly and made it clear to the prime minister in no uncertain terms that a comprehensive deal based on the ‘everyone for everyone’ principle is a deal the families would consider, and has the support of all of Israel,” Meirav Leshem Gonen, mother of Romi Gonen, said on behalf of the families.

An “everyone for everyone” deal would involve the release of the over 200 hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians currently held in Israeli prisons, which the nongovernmental organization Palestinian Prisoners Club estimates to be 6,630 people.

Hamas released a statement Saturday claiming the group was willing to engage in such a trade, though any such deal would be hugely controversial in Israel.

Hamas announced it is “immediately ready” to initiate a comprehensive prisoners swap with Israel, according to a statement issued by Abu Obaida, the spokesperson of Al Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing.

The spokesperson added that Hamas is ready, whether Israel seeks an all-inclusive approach to the prisoner issue or prefers a “segmented” approach.

On Friday, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari characterized Hamas’ most recent hostage exchange overture a form of “psychological terror aimed to manipulate Israeli civilians”.

Netanyahu was asked about such a deal at his Saturday news conference, and acknowledged he discussed the option with the families.

“I think that elaborating on this will not help achieve our goal. In the meeting with the families, I felt emotionally helpless,” Netanyahu stated.

As the efforts to free the hostages drag on, loved ones have also expressed alarm at the possibility Hamas’ captives will be harmed in Israel’s intensifying bombardment of Gaza.

“We came with an unequivocal demand that military action takes into account the fate of the hostages and missing, and that any move considered will take into account the well-being of our loved ones,” Gonen said on behalf of the families.

Israeli military chief says war with Hamas requires ground operation

Israel’s military chief said today marks a new stage in the country’s war against Hamas, and that it requires a ground offensive.

“This is a war with multiple stages. Today, we move to the next one,” Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, said in a video released by the IDF.

“Our forces are currently operating on the ground in the Gaza Strip. These activities are being supported by precise and heavy fire, all in service of the war’s objectives: dismantling Hamas, securing our borders and the supreme effort to return the hostages home.”

“The objectives of this war require a ground operation,” Halevi added, stating, “In order to expose and destroy the enemy there is no other way than to enter its territory with force.”
More context: A ground offensive in Gaza has been widely expected following the October 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas, but it does not appear as though any major operation aimed at seizing and holding significant amounts of the territory is yet underway.

Israel Defense Forces announced Saturday that it had struck several Hamas targets in Gaza as part of its expanded ground operation in the strip.

“Since early Friday evening, combined combat forces of armor, combat engineers and infantry have been operating on the ground in the northern Gaza Strip. As part of the operation, IDF soldiers identified terrorist cells attempting to launch anti-tank missiles and mortar shells and struck them. IDF soldiers also identified and destroyed a booby-trapped structure,” the IDF said in a release.

The IDF added that helicopters, under the direction of IDF tanks, struck a building being used by Hamas as an operational meeting point.

The military also noted that Israeli soldiers “neutralized” several terrorist cells that attempted to fire anti-tank missiles at them. Forces also struck Hamas members who were located in what was described as a “booby-trapped structure.”

Gaza civilians say they endured the heaviest airstrikes of the conflict so far overnight, taking shelter from the bombardment and mourning those killed in hospitals. A communications blackout has disrupted emergency services and cut off contact between family members.

110 doctors and other medical staff killed so far: Gaza ministry

UN chief: Israel’s “unprecedented escalation” in Gaza is impairing humanitarian aid

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday stated he was surprised by the “unprecedented escalation” of bombardments in Gaza by Israel, which he said is “undermining” humanitarian help to the enclave.

“I was encouraged in the last days by what seemed to be a growing consensus in the international community, including the countries supporting Israel, for the need of at least a humanitarian pause in the fighting to facilitate the release of hostages in Gaza, the evacuation of third country nationals and the necessary massive scale up of the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza,” Guterres said in a statement.

“Regrettably, instead of the pause, I was surprised by an unprecedented escalation of the bombardments and their devastating impacts, undermining the referred humanitarian objectives,” Guterres added.

Guterres also noted the UN is “extremely concerned” about its staff in Gaza after communications links were badly disrupted by an aerial assault overnight.

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini earlier Saturday said that, while he was able to contact a few UNRWA colleagues in Rafah via a satellite phone, he has not heard from the “vast majority” of his team.

Guterres, who is currently in Doha, also thanked Qatar for “mediation initiatives,” including the release of some hostages.

“I reiterate my strong appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” Guterres continued.

“I want to repeat what I said yesterday. This is the moment of truth. Everyone must assume their responsibilities. History will judge us all,” the statement concluded.

An overwhelming majority of nations – 120 countries – voted on Friday for a United Nations resolution calling for a “sustained humanitarian truce” in Gaza, even as Israel’s military announced it is “expanding ground operations” in the besieged enclave.

The United States and Israel were among the 14 countries that voted against the resolution. The European Union has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, instead appealing for humanitarian “pauses.”

EU calls for urgent ‘pause’ in hostilities

Hamas calls for implementation of UNGA decision on aid to Gaza

Israel reissues call for people to evacuate northern Gaza

The Israeli military has reiterated its call for residents in northern Gaza to evacuate.

In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said, “This is an urgent military advisory from the Israel Defence Forces. For your immediate safety, we urge all residents of northern Gaza and Gaza City to temporarily relocate south.”

Hagari made reference to what he described as a coming IDF operation against Hamas in Gaza.

“The impending IDF operation is set to neutralize the threat of Hamas with precision and intensity,” he continued, adding, “To the residents of northern Gaza and Gaza City, your window to act is closing… Move south. This is not a mere precaution, it is an urgent plea.”

The latest warnings from Israel came after the IDF said Friday it would expand its ground operation following the October 7 Hamas attacks.

A ground offensive has been widely expected following the attacks, but it does not appear as though any major operation aimed at seizing and holding significant amounts of the territory is yet underway.

UN human rights commissioner: Large-scale Israeli ground operations could have “catastrophic consequences”

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned on Saturday of potentially “catastrophic consequences” in Gaza if Israel pushes further with large-scale ground operations.

“Thousands have already died, many of them children. Given the manner in which military operations have been conducted until now, in the context of the 56-year-old occupation, I am raising alarm about the possibly catastrophic consequences of large-scale ground operations in Gaza and the potential for thousands more civilians to die” he said in a statement.

The commissioner stated that Israel’s bombardment of Gaza Friday night took “this terrible crisis to a new level of violence and pain” and that damaging communications infrastructure put the population of Gaza in “grave danger.”

He added more violence was not the answer and called on “all parties as well as third States” to do what they could to de-escalate the conflict.

The Israeli military said ground forces were inside Gaza Saturday morning, after announcing Friday it would expand its ground operation following the October 7 Hamas attacks that left 1,400 dead and over 200 taken hostage.

Gaza residents say Friday’s airstrikes were the most intense they had experienced since Israel began to retaliate against Hamas around three weeks ago.

Since then, at least 7,700 people have been killed and over 19,000 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to figures released Saturday by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah drawn from sources in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

UAE calls on UN Security Council to meet on Gaza

Saudi Arabia denounces Israel ground operation

“This night was the most terrible of all nights. It was a long and sleepless night, against the backdrop of the major IDF operation in the Strip, and absolute uncertainty regarding the fate of the hostages held there, who were also subject to the heavy bombings,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement on Saturday.

“Anxiety, frustration, and especially enormous anger that none of the war cabinet bothered to meet with the families of the hostages to explain one thing – whether the ground operation endangers the well-being of the 229 hostages in Gaza,” they continued.

Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old American who was wounded and kidnapped by Hamas at an Israeli music festival stated in a separate statement that the expansion of Israel’s ground operation in Gaza was “of extreme concern to us”.

“We pray for the safety and security of the Israeli soldiers on the frontlines as they begin their mission and the safety of all hostages and innocent lives. We implore all world leaders, especially of the 33 countries represented among the hostages, to take urgent and immediate action to bring all the hostages safely home. There is not a moment to waste,” they addef.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters on Friday that they had notified the families of the hostages about the expanded operations.

The Israeli military’s expansion of its ground operation in Gaza has thrown into question the fate of the more than 200 hostages who remain inside the besieged enclave.
Hamas has released a total of four hostages since its October 7 attacks, but the IDF estimates that 224 remain trapped inside Gaza.

The hostages include Israeli civilians and soldiers as well as foreign nationals and children. Among them are scores of hostages holding foreign passports from 25 different countries, including Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Germany and Thailand, according to the Israeli government.

Hamas announced it cannot release the hostages it is holding in Gaza until the Israeli military stops its bombing campaign against the Palestinian enclave.