- The Israel-Hamas war has now entered its 27th day.
- The Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people, injuring thousands, and taking over 200 people as hostages back to Gaza, Israeli officials have said.
- Israel has since retaliated with a constant bombardment of the Gaza Strip and killed nearly 8,800 Palestinians, mostly children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
- Meanwhile, the Israeli army said that they killed a number of members of Hamas leaders who were hiding in the camp.
- As per the United Nations Children’s Agency estimates, every day, more than 400 children are killed or injured in Gaza due to Israeli aggression.
At least 195 Palestinians were killed after two Israeli attacks on Gaza’s largest refugee camp on Tuesday and Wednesday, said the Hamas-run government media office, in a statement. The Palestinian militant group also said that around 120 were still missing under the rubble, and at least 777 more were wounded.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said that they killed a number of members of Hamas leaders who were hiding in the camp. United Nations Human Rights Office said Israeli strikes on the densely populated Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza “could amount to war crimes.”
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) estimates that despite initial evacuations of foreign passport holders and badly injured Palestinians across the border to Egypt, more than 20,000 wounded people are still trapped in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement released on Wednesday MSF said that in the evacuations “a number of severely injured” people, among them its 22 international staff members left Gaza via the Rafah border crossing. “However, there are still over 20,000 injured people in Gaza with limited access to healthcare due to the siege,” it added.
As per the United Nations Children’s agency estimates, every day, more than 400 children are killed or injured in Gaza due to Israeli aggression. In a statement, the UN agency said that around 3,500 children have reportedly been killed, while more than 6,800 have been injured due to the “ongoing bombardment”.
“This cannot become the new normal,” it asserted, adding, “Children have endured too much already. The killing and captivity of children must stop. Children are not a target.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who will visit Israel on Friday will voice solidarity with its retaliation against Hamas in Gaza but also to reassert the need to minimize Palestinian civilian casualties, said his spokesperson.
Talking to the press, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials and receive an update on Israel’s military objectives and its plans to achieve those goals.
(With inputs from agencies)
