Israel-Palestine War: Israeli Forces Surround Gaza City (Image: Twitter/@IDF)
The Israeli military announced on Thursday that their forces had encircled Gaza City. This comes as the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are continuously attacking the headquarters and other Hamas infrastructure in the Gaza region. Earlier, an Israeli commander reportedly said that the forces were at “the gates of Gaza City”. As the war between Israel and Hamas entered its fourth week, the Palestinian death toll surged above 9,000.
Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that the Israeli soldiers have completed the encirclement of the city of Gaza. The spokesperson also added that the concept of a ceasefire is not currently under discussion. At the same time, as the Israeli forces are advancing, the military wing of Hamas reportedly warned that Israeli soldiers who are invading Gaza would go home “in black bags”.
🛑 Four @UNRWA shelters damaged in less than 24 hours in📍#GazaStrip
Today a @UN school was damaged in Jabalia Refugee Camp, reportedly killing at least 20 people
Another shelter at Beach Refugee Camp was also damaged, with one child reportedly killedhttps://t.co/vz5cqZRksg pic.twitter.com/q4cAdn5XzE
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) November 2, 2023
According to the UN humanitarian office, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 23 people sheltering in United Nations facilities in the Gaza Strip on Thursday. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that nearly 1.5 million people in Gaza have been internally displaced so far, and over 690,400 people are sheltering in 149 UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) facilities. OCHA also said that 227 trucks carrying water, food, and medicines have entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing since October 21. “In Gaza, women, children and men are being starved, traumatized and bombed to death. They have lost all faith in humanity and all hope of a future,” said Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Meanwhile, Russia has decided to send a shipment of 28 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the war-hit Gaza Strip. The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said that this humanitarian aid consists of medicine, hemostatic agents, and dressing materials. According to a report from Reuters, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is en route to Israel, may urge Israel to agree to multiple pauses in its war against Hamas in Gaza. This is to ensure the proper delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
