Israeli military operations in Gaza have recently focused on the southern city of Khan Younis and urban refugee camps in the territory’s center. Hundreds of people have been killed in recent days in strikes across the territory, including in areas of the far south where Israel told people to seek refuge. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been meeting with leaders across the Mideast, seeking to rally the region behind postwar plans for Gaza. The push came as the U.S. and British militaries launched retaliatory strikes on sites used by Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Oct. 7 Hamas attack from Gaza into southern Israel that triggered the war killed around 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage by militants. Israel’s air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 23,000 people, 70% of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Quick Read
- Israeli Military Operations in Gaza: Focus has been on Khan Younis and urban refugee camps in the territory’s center.
- High Casualty Rate: Strikes in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of hundreds, including in the far south where Israel advised people to seek refuge.
- U.S. Secretary of State’s Involvement: Antony Blinken is meeting with Mideast leaders to discuss postwar plans for Gaza amid U.S. and British strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen.
- Initial Trigger for Conflict: The conflict was triggered by a Hamas attack from Gaza into southern Israel on Oct. 7, leading to significant casualties and hostage-taking.
- Death Toll in Gaza: Over 23,000 people have been killed in Gaza, with 70% being women and children, as reported by the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled territory.
- U.N. Humanitarian Efforts: Only a fraction of U.N. aid deliveries to northern Gaza were allowed by Israel between Jan. 1 and Jan. 10.
- Access Constraints for Aid: The U.N. expressed concerns about the inability to deliver aid effectively due to access constraints imposed by Israeli authorities.
- Impact of Denied Access: The lack of consistent aid is leading to increased suffering and loss of life, especially in northern Gaza.
- Palestinian Death Toll: The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza reports 23,469 Palestinians killed since the war began on Oct. 7. The count includes civilians and combatants, with 70% being women and children.
- Injuries Reported: An additional 59,604 people have been wounded during the same period.
- Israeli Airstrikes: A significant number of deaths have been caused by Israeli airstrikes, which have heavily damaged areas in Gaza.
- War Trigger: The conflict erupted following an attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, and the abduction of about 250 others.
- Hezbollah Casualties: Hezbollah states that an Israeli airstrike on a health center in Lebanon killed two paramedics and wounded another.
- Location of Strike: The airstrike hit a center in Hanine, run by Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Organization.
- Lebanese Civilian Casualties: The ongoing violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 20 civilians in Lebanon and over 150 Hezbollah members.
- Border Tensions: Tensions have escalated along the Israeli-Lebanese border, with Hezbollah attacking Israeli military posts and Israel responding with shelling and airstrikes.
The Associated Press has the story:
UN office: Israel allows just few supply deliveries to Northern Gaza in Jan.
Newslooks- UNITED NATIONS — (AP)
The U.N. humanitarian office says Israel allowed only three of 21 deliveries of food, medicine and other lifesaving supplies to northern Gaza between Jan. 1 and Jan. 10.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the deliveries also included missions to provide medical supplies and fuel for water and sanitation facilities in Gaza City.
“The U.N.’s ability to respond to extensive needs in the northern part of Gaza is being curtailed by recurring denials of access for aid deliveries and lack of coordinated safe access by the Israeli authorities,” he told reporters Thursday. “These denials and severe access constraints are paralyzing the ability of humanitarian partners to respond meaningfully, consistently and at scale.”
Dujarric said deteriorated compared with December, when more than 70% of planned U.N. missions to the north were undertaken, to about 14% in the first 10 days of January.
“Every day that we are unable to provide assistance results in the loss of lives and suffering for hundreds of thousands of people who remain in northern Gaza,” he said.
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY SAYS 23,469 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE WAR
CAIRO — The Health Ministry in Gaza said that the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire and airstrikes has risen to 23,469 since the war erupted on Oct. 7. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesperson for the ministry, said 59,604 other people were wounded over the same period. He said 70% of those killed were women and children.
The majority of the dead have been killed in Israeli airstrikes that have decimated vast swathes of the territory.
The war between Israel and Hamas broke out when Hamas militants stormed southern Israel and killed 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, and abducted about 250 others.
HEBZOLLAH SAYS AN ISRAELI STRIKE ON A HEALTH CENTER KILLED 2 PARAMEDICS
BEIRUT — Hezbollah says an Israeli airstrike on a health center run by the militant group killed two paramedics and wounded another.
Thursday’s airstrike in the border village of Hanine hit a center run by Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Organization.
Hezbollah’s media office described the attack as “a flagrant aggression on a center that serves Lebanese citizens wounded by the ongoing Israeli aggression.”
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Tensions have soared along the Israeli-Lebanese border since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel ignited the war in Gaza. Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, has been attacking Israeli military posts along the border. Israel has been carrying out artillery shelling and airstrikes.
The violence has killed at least 20 civilians in Lebanon and more than 150 Hezbollah members.
