Israel-Hamas war Day 23 updates | Israel expands ground operations amid crisis of civil order in Gaza

A spokesperson for Gaza's Rafah border crossing said that with 33 additional trucks carrying water, food and medicine into Gaza Strip, a total of 117 trucks have been allowed so far inside the blockaded region since the aid was first allowed into Gaza on October 21.

The World Health Organization chief said the Palestinian Red Crescent’s report of it receiving warnings from Israeli authorities to immediately evacuate al-Quds hospital in the Gaza Strip is "deeply concerning"

"The Palestinian Red Crescent report of evacuation threats to al-Quds hospital in Gaza is deeply concerning," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"We reiterate – it’s impossible to evacuate hospitals full of patients without endangering their lives."

Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter, is facing flak online as a post by a Pakistani senator praising German dictator Adolf Hitler for exterminating Jewish people continues to be on the platform. Pakistani senator Afnan Ullah Khan, a member of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party, is a member of the Senate of Pakistan since March 2021. 

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Hamas claimed on Sunday that it hit Israeli armoured vehicles near the Israel-Gaza border. 

A video shared by Hamas' military wing showed an armoured vehicle in flames following a rocket strike. 

US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that Israel must do all it can to protect innocent people in Gaza by distinguishing between Hamas militants and the civilians. 

Speaking to CNN, NSA Sullivan said, "There is a burden, as I said before and as the president has said, on Israel to take the necessary steps to distinguish between Hamas, who does not represent the Palestinian people, and innocent Palestinian civilians."

Since the war began, only 84 aid trucks have entered Gaza, compared with a pre-war average of 500 trucks a day, UN figures show.

The Red Cross on Sunday voiced concerns at the "intolerable" human suffering in Gaza, and urged all sides to de-escalate. 

"This is a catastrophic failing that the world must not tolerate," Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said. 

Hussein Al-Sheikh, the secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's executive committee, had a meeting with the German ambassador, Deike Potzel.

“We stressed the need to stop the humanitarian catastrophe occurring in the Gaza Strip, and to find ways to calm down and immediately end the ongoing aggression against the Strip, and the urgent need to provide safe passages for humanitarian aid to its residents, and to secure corridors to rescue and treat the injured,” a statement by Sheikh said.

“Potzel stressed the rejection of the killing of civilians on both sides, and her country’s position in support of a political path that guarantees security, calm and stability in the region on the basis of the two-state solution in accordance with international legitimacy,” he said on X.

Potzel holds the position of Director-General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilisation, Peacebuilding, and Humanitarian Aid at the German Federal Foreign Office.

As the conflict in Gaza continues, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas on October 7, the West Bank has witnessed over 110 Palestinian casualties, along with one Israeli fatality.

Thousands have gathered in Islamabad, marking the biggest pro-Palestine rally seen in Pakistan since the onset of Israel's conflict in Gaza, reported Al Jazeera. 

Similar demonstrations are happening in other cities as well. People here are dissatisfied with the relatively muted response from the Pakistani government. Attendees at the rally are voicing significant frustration over what they view as international inaction in halting Israel's airstrikes.

Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, has expressed grave concern about the rapidly deteriorating situation in Gaza. He reiterated urgent pleas for a ceasefire to halt the ongoing "nightmare" of violence and bloodshed.

“The situation in Gaza is growing more desperate by the hour. I regret that instead of a critically needed humanitarian pause, supported by the international community, Israel has intensified its military operations,” Guterres said on a visit to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu.

Israel has vowed to take every possible measure to prevent the use of the Starlink satellite communications system in support of internationally recognised aid organisations operating in Gaza. This decision was announced by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi after Elon Musk suggested that SpaceX's Starlink could assist in reestablishing communications in Gaza. Karhi expressed concerns that HAMAS might exploit this technology for terrorist purposes and suggested that Musk could consider making its use contingent on the release of abducted individuals, including children and the elderly.

“I was wrong. The things I said following the press conference should not have been said and I apologize for that,” Netanyahu wrote on X after blaming security chiefs for Oct 7 Hamas attack. 

The prime minister added, “I give full backing to all the heads of the security services. I am sending strength to the [IDF] chief of staff and the commanders and soldiers of the IDF who are on the frontlines and fighting for our home.”

IDF says it struck more than 450 Hamas targets during the past day, with their forces continuing to expand ground activities in Gaza

Thousands of Gaza residents broke into warehouses and distribution centres of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) grabbing flour and "basic survival items", the organisation said on Sunday. "This is a worrying sign that civil order is starting to break down after three weeks of war and a tight siege on Gaza," UNRWA said in a statement. Aid supplies to Gaza have been choked since Israel began bombarding the Palestinian enclave in response to a deadly attack by its ruling militant group Hamas.

The Israeli army raised the number of troops fighting inside the Gaza Strip, a spokesman said Sunday, as the military stepped up its war on Hamas in the Palestinian territory.

"Overnight we increased the entry of IDF forces into the (Gaza) Strip, and they joined the forces already fighting there," Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised briefing.
 

Thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters held demonstrations in Sydney on Sunday (Oct 29) from various communities in the Australian city.
 

A pro-Palestinian protest saw thousands or protesters come out on the street in Brooklyn, New York. The protesters expressed their anger at Israel's relentless bombing of the Gaza Strip.

New York has between 1.6 and two million Jews and hundreds of thousands of Muslims. The city has been rocked by protests supporting both, Israeli as well as Palestinian side.

Thousands marched on streets of Sydney, Australia to show their support for Palestinians. The demonstrators called for an end to war. As they marched through the city, chants of "Free Palestine" were heard.

Earlier in the day a march to support Israel took place at Martin Place in the city. These protesters carried shoes, prams as well as wheelchairs as symbol of Israeli hostages taken captive by Hamas.
 

Talks have not broken down, but are taking place at a "much slower pace" than before the escalation from Friday evening.

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Hinting at a wider regional war emanating from the developments in Israel-Hamas war, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned that Israeli attacks 'may force everyone to take action'. He made a post on X (formerly Twitter).

"Zionist regime’s crimes have crossed the red lines, which may force everyone to take action. Washington asks us to not do anything, but they keep giving widespread support to Israel. The US sent messages to the Axis of Resistance but received a clear response on the battlefield," said Raisi in his post.

Israel Defense Forces has released images showing its military activity. These images have been released just when it is anticipated that Israel would launch a ground assault in Gaza Strip.

(Image: Reuters)

(Image: Reuters)

(Image: Reuters)

If you've joined our coverage just now. Here are the main developments to bring you up to speed

- Telephone and Internet connectivity is gradually being restored in the Gaza Strip. 

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- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has termed the ongoing Israel-Hamas war an 'existential test' for Israel. He also called it Israel's 'second independence war' which he said will go on for long. Netanyahu spoke in a televised address.

- International Committee of the Red Cross has appealed for immediate de-escalation of conflict.

- There are signs that there will be war of words between Turkey and Israel. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has continued assuming hawkish tone and now has accused Israel of war crimes. Israel's UN envoy has regarded Erdogan as a 'snake'.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari shared an infographic of the high-ranking terrorists of the terrorist organization Hamas, who were killed by the IDF and Shin Bet.

The International Committee of the Red Cross appealed for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities in Gaza and delivery of humanitarian aid.

"It is unacceptable that civilians have no safe place to go in Gaza amid the massive bombardments, and with a military siege in place there is also no adequate humanitarian response currently possible. This is a catastrophic failing that the world must not tolerate," said ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric, in a statement.

Spoljaric further stated that the “immediate imperative must be to save lives” by ensuring that the restoration electricity, water and healthcare services in Gaza.

“Under international humanitarian law, the parties are obligated to spare civilians from the effects of military operations at all times, to distinguish between civilians and military targets, and to never use human shields to prevent military objectives from being attacked,” Spoljaric stated.

After Starlink's Elon Musk said that he will provide communication links in Gaza STrip, Israel stated that it would “use all means at its disposal to fight this”.

"HAMAS will use it for terrorist activities. Perhaps Musk would be willing to condition it with the release of our abducted babies, sons, daughters, elderly people. All of them! By then, my office will cut any ties with starlink," Karhi wrote. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wanted to “increase the urgency” of the warning given to civilians in Gaza to move from north to south in Gaza, as it continues to expand its ground operations in the enclave, as per a spokesperson.

“Civilians in northern Gaza, in Gaza City should temporarily move south of Wadi Gaza to a safer area," stated Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, in a video shared on IDF social media. 

Here's the post on X in which Netblocks confirmed that internet connectivity is getting restored in Gaza Strip.

As per some Palestinian media reports, internet connectivity and telephone communications are returing to the Gaza Strip gradually.

Gaza plunged into a communication blackput after the phone and internet connections were snapped on Friday (Oct 27), which led to an information vacuum amid the heaviest aerial bombardment by Israel.

Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf said that he is not aware if his parents-in-law, who have taken as hostage in Gaza Strip, are alive or dead after communications with the region were snapped by Israel.

Yousaf stated he and his wife, Nadia are “desperately worried” and that she is “numb” as they are trying to find out more about her parents.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, he said, “We haven’t heard from them obviously since the intensity of the bombing last night and you can imagine how desperately worried we are, and to be frank, we don’t know if they are alive or dead."

“And that is the reality not just facing us, clearly the reality for many people right across the world who haven’t heard from their loved ones who are trapped in Gaza and have been facing bombardment over the last three weeks," he added.

“My wife is numb to be honest, I’m trying to do my best to give her some hope and we’re doing our best to try to keep ourselves distracted, and obviously calling as many phone numbers as we possibly can, as many relatives as we can across Gaza, with no luck this far," the minister said.

Palestinian Red Crescent spokesperson Nebal Farsakh said that no international aid could make entry in the Gaza Strip, as the region remained in communications blackout.

Speaking to The Associated Press, Nebal Farsakh said that no aid trucks entered Gaza Strip on Saturday since communication could not be established and teams present inside the region failed to connect with Egyptian Red Crescent or United Nations personnel.

Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu has intensified his calls against Hamas Palestinian terrorist group saying, "We must defeat Hamas because the test is an existential test for us," Netanyahu said during a news conference.

"Iran supports Hamas. I think that 90 percent of Hamas's military budget comes from Iran. It funds, it organises, it directs it," he added.