The war between Israel and Hamas, which entered its 64th day on Saturday, was sparked by a bloody and unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement on Israeli soil from the Gaza Strip on October 7.
According to Israel, 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in this attack. Around 240 people have been kidnapped and taken to the small Palestinian territory, 138 of whom remain captive after being released during a late ceasefire. November in exchange for Palestinian prisoners to Israel, the government said.
In retaliation, Israel vowed to “destroy” Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Its army is carrying out devastating bombings in the besieged Palestinian territory where Hamas seized power in 2007, and launched a major ground operation on October 27.
The Hamas Health Ministry reported Friday that Israeli bombings killed 17,490 people, more than 70% of them women, children and teenagers under 18, and injured tens of thousands.
Here are the latest developments:
Air and sea bombing of Gaza
The Israeli army says new Israeli air and naval bombardments have hit the Gaza Strip, targeting “terrorist targets.” Ground fighting between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters continues in various parts of the Palestinian territory.
According to Hamas, more than 150 Palestinians died within 24 hours
According to the Hamas government, dozens of Palestinians were killed overnight in Israeli bombings in Al-Zawaida (center), Nousseirat (center), Rafah, Khan Younes (south) and Gaza City (north).
In the last 24 hours, 71 dead and 160 injured Palestinians were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah (center) and 62 dead to Nasser Hospital (south), Hamas' health ministry said.
An Israeli attack in Khan Younes killed six people on Saturday morning, while another in Rafah left five people dead, according to the same source.
Rocket fire on Israel
Hamas' armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for new rocket attacks on southern Israel near the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
Rocket warning sirens sounded overnight in Israeli areas surrounding Palestinian territory.
“Uncontrollable explosion”
“As long as America supports the crimes of the Zionist regime and the continuation of the war […] There is a possibility of an uncontrollable explosion in the region,” Iranian diplomatic chief Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned after the American veto of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate cessation of humanitarian fire” in Gaza.
“Vote against humanity”
“By vetoing the resolution, the United States is the only one voting against humanity,” complained the NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF). By continuing to provide diplomatic cover for atrocities in Gaza, they are signaling that “some people’s lives matter less than others.”
Palestinians killed in West Bank
A Palestinian was killed on Saturday in an Israeli army attack in Doura in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, the official Palestinian Wafa agency said.
More than 260 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since October 7, according to a Palestinian Authority report.