The Palestinian death toll from the massive Israeli carpet bombing of Gaza has risen to 1,417 – thus exceeding the number of Israels killed since the launch of Operation Aqsa Flood on Saturday morning.
A Palestinian Health Ministry statement added that at least 6,268 others have been injured in the bombardment.
Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) announced that the number of displaced people in Gaza due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes has exceeded 338,000.
At least 1,300 Israelis were killed and over 3,300 others injured in the Hamas attack, according to official figures.
Israeli occupation forces also confirmed that 97 Israelis were taken hostage by Hamas during the attack, saying that their families have been informed of the situation and their release may take a “longer time.”
Earlier today, Israeli forces also detained 55 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to official sources.
“Israeli forces carried out detention operations in various regions of occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank,” Emani Serahine, an official with the Palestinian Prisoners Association, told Anadolu Agency.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
Here are the other major developments in the fast-moving situation:
– A significant part of Gaza’s population is being “wiped off,” the UN rapporteur for Palestinian territories said Thursday, as the blockaded city continues to face intense Israeli strikes and shelling.
“What’s happening is that a significant part of the Palestinian population in Gaza is being wiped off. Not differently from what has happened before in … but with increased ferocity,” Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, told Anadolu in a video interview.
Albanese also commented on a decision by Israel earlier this week to cut off Gaza’s supply of water, electricity, food, and other basic facilities, underlining that starving a besieged population and depriving them of essentials was a war crime.
“If it’s intentional and, in the context of a widespread and systemic attack against a civilian population, it also constitutes a crime against humanity,” she added.
– According to a Jerusalem Post poll, a majority of Israelis (56%) believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should resign at the end of the conflict with Palestine. Four out of five Jewish Israelis attribute blame to the government and Netanyahu for the Hamas group’s Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel.
“An overwhelming majority of 86% of respondents, including 79% of coalition supporters, said the surprise attack from Gaza is a failure of the country’s leadership, while a staggering 92% said the war is causing anxiety,” it said.
“Furthermore, almost all of the respondents (94%) believe the government has responsibility for the lack of security preparedness that led to the assault on the South, with over 75% saying the government holds most of the responsibility,” according to the report.
Additionally, 52% of respondents expect the resignation of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
– Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the situation in Palestine in their first phone call since the two countries restored ties in March.
SOURCE: AA
