A look at the top developments from Israel’s war on Gaza:
1. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday announced that the country was entering “the second stage” of what he described as a “long and difficult” war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, reported The Guardian. The Palestinian toll passed 7,700, which mostly includes women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, reported the Associated Press. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli raids have killed over 110 Palestinians.
2. Internet and telephone connectivity have been restored for several users in Gaza, telecoms company Paltel said on Sunday. This was after the 2.3 million residents in the Gaza Strip were nearly cut off from the outside world due to internet and communication blackouts amid heavy bombardment by the Israeli Army. Emergency services including paramedic teams struggled to respond to deaths and injuries from the airstrikes, as links to mobile networks, the internet and electricity were snapped.
3. The World Health Organization said on Saturday that the reports of bombardment near the Indonesia and Al Shifa hospitals in the Gaza Strip were gravely concerning. “WHO reiterates that it is impossible to evacuate patients without endangering their lives,” it said in a tweet. “Hospitals across Gaza are already operating at maximum capacity due to the injuries sustained in weeks of unrelenting bombardment, and are unable to absorb a dramatic rise in the number of patients, while sheltering thousands of civilians.”
3. While the Gaza strip was cut off from any medium of communication, the Israeli military on Saturday released a video asking civilians in the Palestinian region to move south, saying that it is increasing its operations. Israeli Defence Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari also said that humanitarian efforts “will be expanding” south of Wadi Gaza. He repeated that the military was moving to the next phase of the war against Hamas in Gaza from the air, land and sea.
4. Hamas on Saturday demanded that Israel release all Palestinian prisoners from its jails to secure the freedom of 229 hostages it took on October 7, reported Al Jazeera. Families of Israeli hostages expressed concern about their safety as Israel continues its invasion of Gaza. A representative for the families told Netanyahu that they support a full prisoner swap. The meeting with Netanyahu took place after families of the hostages threatened to protest against the uncertainty over safe return.
5. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip, reported AFP. “The situation in Gaza is growing more desperate by the hour,” he said on a visit to Kathmandu. “I regret that instead of a critically needed humanitarian pause, supported by the international community, Israel has intensified its military operations.” He said that more than two million people in Gaza have nowhere safe to go and are being denied food, water, shelter and medical care, while being subjected to relentless bombardment. “I urge all those with responsibility to step back from the brink,” he said.
6. Countries in West Asia, including Qatar, have also been urging for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza even as the United Nations General Assembly failed to pass a resolution on an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” between Israeli forces and Hamas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi also discussed the latest developments in Gaza even as India abstained from voting on the ceasefire resolution at the United Nations General Assembly, reported NDTV
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!