Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that at least 93 Palestinians have been killed and 324 others injured in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began on October 11. In the past 48 hours alone, 19 people were killed and seven wounded in Israeli strikes.
Since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, a total of 68,519 Palestinians in Gaza have lost their lives, and more than 170,000 have been injured, according to officials. The United Nations has warned that 1.5 million people in the Gaza Strip urgently need humanitarian assistance. Many returning residents are finding widespread destruction, with limited access to food, clean water, and shelter, Al Jazeera reported.
Separately, Israeli forces killed an 18-year-old Palestinian, Mohammed Ahmed Abu Haneen, in the occupied West Bank during a raid in Askar camp in Nablus, Wafa news agency reported.
Israeli troops also carried out arrests in Hebron and Tal, bringing the total number of Palestinians detained in the West Bank to 44 over the past week, according to the Israeli military.
On Saturday, meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who is on visit to Israel met with the families of hostages killed by Hamas. He wrote, “We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in Hamas captivity. Today, I met with the families of American citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. We will not rest until their — and all — remains are returned.”
Calling the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) a “subsidiary of Hamas”, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday categorically said that “Hamas cannot be involved in governing the future of Gaza.”
The top US official said this while addressing a press conference at the US Civil-Military Coordination Centre in Israel’s Kiryat Gat.
“Here’s a lot of work to be done here and there’s going to be some impediments along the way and things of this nature that people put out there. Suffice it to say that everyone that signed onto this plan, all of these other countries agreed and everyone agreed that Hamas cannot govern and cannot be involved in governing the future of Gaza.Everyone’s agreed to that. That has to be part of this,” Rubio stated.
He said that the immediate focus remains on sustaining the ceasefire and ensuring humanitarian aid reaches those in need.
(With ANI Inputs)
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
