The death toll in Gaza has reached a staggering number as the Israeli assault on the besieged enclave enters its 12th week. According to the Palestinian health ministry, at least 201 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 370 wounded by Israeli forces in the past 24 hours alone. The bombing in central Gaza’s Bureij refugee camp resulted in the deaths of eight Palestinians, including children, while another attack in Jabalia camp is believed to have killed dozens more. Overall, the death toll in Gaza during the 11-week assault has now reached 20,258, with 53,688 others wounded.
The situation in Gaza has become increasingly dire, with thousands of bodies believed to be trapped under the rubble across the strip. Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Rafah, stated that the Israeli attacks have intensified, and the bombardment and shelling of the northern parts of the territory continue. Decomposed bodies, some of which have been left unattended for 20 days in the rubble and streets, were finally buried by Gaza’s Civil Defence team on Saturday.
The impact of the assault on the civilian population is devastating. Almost all of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced and forced to live in flimsy tents or on the streets in the southern part of the strip. Widespread hunger has been reported, leaving the population in a state of desperation. Israel has urged the Palestinians to leave northern areas of Gaza, but its forces have also been bombarding neighborhoods in central and southern parts of the coastal enclave.
The Israeli government claims that 144 of its soldiers have been killed since the ground incursion began on October 20. This came after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli soil, resulting in the deaths of 1,147 people and the capture of 240 individuals into the enclave. Although a weeklong truce last month led to the exchange of some captives, more than 100 are still believed to be in Gaza. Hamas announced on Saturday that it had lost contact with a group responsible for five Israeli captives, raising concerns that they may have been killed during an Israeli raid.
The Israeli government-appointed committee has been declaring some hostages dead in absentia, drawing on various information sources. Hamas has not confirmed these accounts but has warned Israel that time is running out for the captives. Osama Hamdan, Hamas representative in Beirut, stated that there will be no negotiations with Israel on the exchange of captives until the onslaught on Gaza ceases. He emphasized that if Israel wants to recover its prisoners alive, it must stop the war.
The situation in Gaza remains critical, and international attention is urgently needed to address the escalating violence and loss of life. The impact on the civilian population cannot be understated, and efforts must be made to ensure the protection and well-being of those affected by the conflict.
