On Friday, Israel had ordered 1.1 million residents to leave their homes within 24 hours. UN: “Devastating humanitarian consequences”.
The long-awaited large-scale ground offensive has been postponed for now. Israel has announced it will launch "significant military operations" in the Gaza Strip only after civilians have left the area, according to the spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). But in the last 24 hours alone, despite the Sabbath, 300 people were killed and 800 injured according to the Gaza Ministry of Health: the majority of the victims are said to be women and children.
Overall, the conflict has already caused the deaths of 2,329 people and the displacement of 9,042, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is deteriorating further due to a shortage of water resources and fuel to supply water to the population, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Unrwa) reporting that the majority of the population no longer has access to water.
From 10am to 1pm today, local time, a humanitarian corridor to the south of the Gaza Strip will remain open, to allow residents of Gaza City and Wadi Gaza to evacuate the area safely. This was announced by Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee.
On Friday, the Israeli army had "asked" all those living north of Wadi Gaza, the nature reserve that runs through the middle of the Gaza Strip, to "relocate" to the south of the Strip within 24 hours. Approximately 1.1 million people live in the identified area — half of the entire population of the Gaza Strip — as it includes Gaza City, one of the most densely populated cities in the world.
The motivation lies in Israel's intention to launch a ground military offensive, with soldiers, heavy artillery and tanks, into Gaza. This operation follows the total siege that is leaving Palestinians without water, food, electricity or medicine.
According to the United Nations, "a displacement of such magnitude is impossible without devastating humanitarian consequences" and it has therefore strongly called for any such order, if confirmed, to "be rescinded to avoid what is already a tragedy from becoming a catastrophic situation".
9:35, 16 October 2023US and Israeli officials are discussing the possibility of an upcoming visit to Israel by US President Joe Biden at the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a source close to the matter said on Sunday. A visit by Biden, Reuters explains, would be intended to demonstrate support for the United States' closest ally in the Middle East and would follow a similar visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is currently in the region.
9:44, 16 October 2023There is uncertainty over the possible opening of the Rafah crossing, to allow foreign nationals to leave the Gaza Strip and essential goods such as water, food and fuel to enter. Initially Reuters reported, citing Egyptian sources, that Israel, the United States and Egypt had reached an agreement on opening the crossing between Palestine and Egypt for the morning.
Then came the reversal, likely due to the "no" from ministers of the Israeli Likud party and the Egyptian authorities' concern about an uncontrolled influx of Palestinians. Energy Minister Israel Katz says he "strongly opposes the opening of the blockade and the introduction of goods into Gaza on humanitarian grounds." "Our commitment is to the families of those killed and kidnapped as hostages, not to Hamas murderers and those who aided them," he states. Culture Minister Miki Zohar also opposes it. "Those who massacre children, rape women and kidnap babies deserve no mercy."
9:29, 16 October 2023The Israeli Energy Minister declared that Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden had agreed to restore water supplies to the southern areas of Gaza, to address the severe humanitarian crisis gripping the Strip, now in its tenth day of siege. Palestinians, however, say that Israel's announcement of renewing water supplies to southern Gaza is a "publicity stunt" as many water pipelines have been damaged by Israeli bombing. Furthermore, without electricity, the water pumps needed to fill the tanks do not function.
10:41, 15 October 2023One person was killed and three others were injured in an attack carried out with an anti-tank guided missile in the northern town of Shtula, on the border with Lebanon, according to the Times of Israel. Another missile was also fired at a military position on the northern border, the IDF says, adding that Israel is returning fire. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack.
Israeli defence forces are "isolating the area" up to 4 kilometres from the Lebanese border, ordering civilians not to enter. Meanwhile, residents living in communities up to 2 kilometres from the Lebanese border are being ordered to remain close to air-raid shelters until further notice. The moves follow repeated attacks from Lebanon by the terrorist group Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions.
9:41, 15 October 2023From 10am to 1pm today, a humanitarian corridor to the south of the Gaza Strip will be open, to allow residents of Gaza City and Wadi Gaza to evacuate the area safely. This is announced by Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee. "Residents of Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip, we have been appealing to you over recent days to leave Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip and make your way to the area south of the Gaza Valley for your safety. I am informing you that the IDF will refrain from targeting the designated axis between 10:00 and 13:00. For your safety, take advantage of this brief window of time to move south from the northern Gaza Strip and from Gaza City southwards to Khan Yunis. If your safety and that of your loved ones matters to you, head south in accordance with our instructions. Rest assured that Hamas leaders have taken care of themselves and their family members."
The long-awaited large-scale ground offensive is for the moment postponed. Israel has announced that it will launch "significant military operations" in the Gaza Strip only after civilians have left the area, according to Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus — a statement that nonetheless comes after eight consecutive days of Israeli strikes in response to Hamas's terrorist attacks, which have taken a heavy toll in lives. In the last 24 hours alone, despite Shabbat, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health 300 people were killed and 800 wounded: the majority of the victims are reported to be women and children.
Israel's 24-hour ultimatum to Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip has expired. Dozens of Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes as they attempted to flee the north, according to reports from Hamas officials. More than one million residents had been ordered to evacuate the area, a demand rejected by the United Nations as "impossible". The press office of Hamas, the Palestinian group governing the besieged Gaza Strip, said that 70 people, mostly women and children, were killed in air strikes on cars leaving Gaza City. It said that the vehicles were targeted in three different locations.
Israel's opposition leader, Yair Lapid, criticises Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on X following his speech: "It is unacceptable that he sends an entire country into a panic waiting for his statement at a time of emergency and then says nothing new, not even about the families of the abducted or about the northern front. Such statements must not be made by a prime minister unless he has new information to provide to his people and to the country."
"We are striking our enemies with unprecedented force. Our enemies have begun to pay the price, they do not know what is coming, this is only the beginning. We will destroy and uproot Hamas, we will achieve victory." So said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an address to the nation. "That accursed Saturday – last Saturday, the day of the Hamas attacks – will be etched in Israel's history, we will not forget it. But we will emerge stronger than before, no matter how long it tak
