Israel’s war against Hamas has entered its thirty-third day, a month after Hamas killed at least 1,400 Israelis and injured more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In Gaza, the health ministry reports that more than 10,569 Palestinians have been killed.
Human Toll
Tens of thousands of Palestinians fled the fighting and bombardment in Gaza on Wednesday, November 8, as Israel said it was tightening the “stranglehold” around Hamas and again rejected a ceasefire without the release of hostages.
Calls for a ceasefire to protect civilians have built over a month into the war sparked when Hamas attacked Israel and, according to Israeli officials, killed about 1,400 people, mainly civilians, and seized 239 hostages.
Aiming to destroy Hamas, Israel retaliated with a relentless bombardment and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip that, according to the Gaza health ministry, has killed more than 10,500 people, also mostly civilians.
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Gazans Fleeing
The Israeli army said 50,000 people left north Gaza for the south of the narrow coastal strip as the fighting raged between Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, and Israeli troops.
Around 15,000 people had fled on Tuesday, compared with 5,000 on Monday and 2,000 on Sunday, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
As the talks proceeded, the pace of Palestinian civilians fleeing south from northern Gaza accelerated in the face of Israel’s intensifying air and ground campaign, according to UN observers.
Diplomatic Endeavors
G7 foreign ministers declared on that they supported “humanitarian pauses and corridors” in the Israel-Hamas war but refrained from calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
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But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again rejected the prospect of a ceasefire in Gaza, amid reports of negotiations for a temporary truce with Hamas to allow in humanitarian aid.
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Hostage Negotiations
Negotiations are underway for the release of a dozen hostages held by Hamas, including six Americans, in return for a three-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, a source close to Hamas stated.
A separate source gave a briefing on the talks earlier in the day, stating that Qatar was mediating negotiations in coordination with the US to free “10-15 hostages in exchange for a one- to two-day ceasefire”.
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Accusing UNRWA
Hamas has accused the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) of “colluding” with Israel in the “forced displacement” of Gazans, after residents followed instructions to flee.
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Military Activity
The Israeli army said it had uncovered around 130 tunnel entrances in Gaza. It also reported the deaths of two more soldiers, bringing to 33 the total number killed in the offensive.
Hamas released video footage of fierce streets battles between its armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, and Israeli forces in the northern and southern axis of Gaza City.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed to have shot down a US drone off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula country, saying it had been deployed in support of Israel.
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Khalil Wakim, with AFP
