According to the UN, only 74 trucks carrying aid supplies have arrived in the Gaza Strip since the war began on October 7th. Before the war began, the area was supplied with 500 trucks daily. Around 1.4 million people are on the run but cannot leave the Gaza Strip.
According to the Israeli army, the “targeted attack” on the ground in the center of the Gaza Strip on Friday night was supported by fighter jets and drones. At the same time, the bombing continued throughout the Gaza Strip.
Hamas rocket launch pads and command centers were destroyed and “terrorists” from the Islamist Palestinian organization were killed, the army said. Footage released by the military showed a column of armored vehicles.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that the army is preparing for a massive ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. Tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers are already positioned near the border with the Gaza Strip.
There is not much support for this among the Israeli population. According to a survey, almost half of Israelis believe it would be better to wait before launching an offensive. According to a survey by the newspaper Maariv, 29 percent said the offensive should begin “immediately.”
According to information released by Hamas on Friday, the number of children killed in the Gaza Strip has now exceeded 3,000. In total, 7,326 people have been killed there since the war began three weeks ago, including 3,038 children, said the Hamas-run health ministry. The information cannot be independently verified.
When asked about the credibility of these figures, UNRWA chief Lazzarini noted on Friday that Hamas’ figures had “not been doubted” in previous conflicts with Israel. “In the last five or six conflicts in the Gaza Strip, (Hamas’) numbers were considered credible,” he said. He confirmed that “at least 57” UN staff have been killed in the Gaza Strip so far.
After US President Joe Biden publicly expressed doubts about the number of Palestinian victims, Hamas published on Thursday a list with the names and identity numbers of almost 6,747 people who it said were killed in Israeli attacks. The identities of 281 other victims are still being checked, it said.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, meanwhile, expressed concern about possible war crimes on both sides. “We are concerned that war crimes are being committed. We are concerned about the collective punishment of the people of Gaza in response to the horrific attacks by Hamas, which also amount to war crimes,” Human Rights Commissioner spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in Geneva. An independent court must clarify to what extent these actually constitute war crimes, she added.
Hamas launched a major attack on Israel on October 7th, in which, according to Israeli information, around 1,400 people were killed and, according to the latest Israeli information, 229 people were kidnapped as hostages in the Gaza Strip. In response to the major attack, Israel sealed off the Gaza Strip and launched massive air strikes.
