Communications Blackout, Raids Hit Gaza, ‘Barbaric War’ Fatah Condemns (image-instagram/motaz_azaiza)
Fatah, the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel’s attack and called it “Israel’s barbaric war of extermination”. The party has also called on the international community to stop the war. Heavy bombardment continues on Gaza amid communication blackout. The death toll has risen to 9,770 in Gaza ever since October 7.
The UN has also reported that 88 UNRWA staff members have been killed in the Israel airstrike. UN announced in a statement that this is the “highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict”. In the joint statement issued together with several non-UN humanitarian organizations, it is said that UN workers were among “scores of aid-workers” who have been killed.
The life of the civilians in Gaza has become more difficult after seven water facilities in the Gaza strip were “directly hit and sustained major damage” on Saturday and Sunday. The UN relief agency has confirmed the attack. As per UNOCHA report, two water wells in Rafah, three sewage pipelines in Gaza city and two water reservoirs are the three among seven facilities damaged.
As the war enters to 31st day, Palestinian Ministry of Health has announced that a total of 175 medical personnel and 34 civil defence workers have been killed in the Gaza strip, reports Al Jazeera.
Meanwhile, Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected US calls for humanitarian pause and said to US Secretary Antony Blinken that they are going on full steam ahead until all the hostages are freed by Hamas.
As per the report of AP, almost 1,100 people have left the Gaza strip through Al Rafah border since Wednesday under an apparent agreement among the United States, Egypt, Israel and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas.
The US ministry has positioned a nuclear-capable submarine in the Middle East. The Ohio-class submarine represents America’s nuclear triad of atomic weapons which includes land-based ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs abroad strategic bombers. The US had deployed submarines in the region earlier and announced its presence in the region due to the rising tension with Iran.
A trickle of humanitarian aid has been dropped in Gaza by Jordan. The medical aid was airdropped by a Jordanian military cargo aircraft, the Kingdom’s leader announced on Monday.
“This is our duty to aid our brothers and sisters injured in the war on Gaza,” King Abdullah II wrote on X.
Our fearless air force personnel air-dropped at midnight urgent medical aid to the Jordanian field hospital in Gaza. This is our duty to aid our brothers and sisters injured in the war on Gaza. We will always be there for our Palestinian brethren pic.twitter.com/HOWI2VL7hL
— عبدالله بن الحسين (@KingAbdullahII) November 5, 2023
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday during his visit to Iraq. Al-Sudani called for an immediate ceasefire and pointed to “the urgency of containing the crisis and preventing its spread”.
