The death toll among Palestinians in the Hamas-Israel conflict has now surpassed 8,000 individuals, with a majority of them being women and minors, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a “second stage” in the war as tanks and infantry troops entered Gaza over the weekend.
During this weekend’s intense bombardment, which Gaza residents have described as the most intense of the three-week war, communications in Gaza were severely disrupted on Friday, leaving its 2.3 million people cut off from the outside world. However, parts of Gaza had their communications restored early on Sunday.
Various human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, had previously warned that the lack of communication in Gaza was hindering efforts to document war crimes and other abuses.
Following the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, Israel imposed a total siege on the Palestinian enclave, depriving its 2.3 million people of food, water, and electricity. However, Israel has allowed limited supplies of basic necessities and medicines to reach Gaza. There are ongoing efforts to increase the level of food, water, fuel, and medicine in Gaza, which has been heavily bombarded by Israeli forces.
During a visit to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his regret that instead of a much-needed humanitarian pause, Israel has escalated its military operations, making the situation in Gaza more desperate by the hour.