I don’t know how else we can square that circle of defeating Hamas where Hamas is and minimizing civilian casualties.”Įlectricity and internet supply have been extremely intermittent in Gaza. “We’re trying to inform them ahead of time where fighting is going to be in order for them to be able to take precautions and move from where there is going to be fighting. Jonathan Conricus, IDF spokesperson, told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Monday. “We’re trying to reach out to Palestinians,” Lt. We’ll know only after the guns fall silent.” And it could be that they’re even higher than are being cited. “It is very difficult for any of us to assess what the rate of casualties are,” said Barbara Leaf, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. ![]() It does not distinguish between civilians and militants.Ī top US State Department official told Congress last month that while it was difficult to assess casualty figures while the conflict was ongoing, she believed that the true death toll could be even higher than what is being publicly discussed. The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza says that 15,899 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli attacks since October 7. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told journalists during a news conference on Saturday that the military has killed “thousands of terrorists.” The Israeli military has not officially published any estimates of those killed.ĪFP reported that the unnamed Israeli military official, when asked to confirm reports that around 5,000 Hamas militants had been killed, replied: “The numbers are more or less right.” “And I can say that if that is true, and I think that our numbers will be corroborated – if you compare that ratio to any other conflict in urban terrain between a military and a terrorist organization using civilians as their human shields, and embedded in the civilian population, you will find that that ratio is tremendous, tremendously positive, and perhaps unique in the world.” Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said Monday that 180 international humanitarian aid trucks were sent to the Rafah crossing "at the request of the US Administration and in coordination with Egypt." The UN said it stands ready to work with all parties to “expand the number of UN-managed safe shelters and to deliver assistance where it is needed.” Hastings said the UN and NGOs alone can’t support the population of Gaza, stressing that commercial and public sectors must be allowed to bring supplies into Gaza. The UN said fuel must be allowed to enter Gaza in a “manner which ensures Israel’s security.” The situation amounts to a “textbook formula for epidemics and a public health disaster,” Hastings said. “Humanitarian operations cannot be kept on a drip feed of fuel,” she said, adding that fuel is required for hospitals, clean drinking water, sanitation, social services and UN operations, among others. ![]() ![]() The international body added Gaza’s health system is “on its knees” with a lack of clean drinking water, no proper sanitation and poor nutrition for people, and shelters with no capacity. The use of only the Rafah crossing to bring trucks of aid does not work, the UN said, despite the efforts of its agencies, the Egyptian and Palestine Red Crescent Society, and other partners. “If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold, one in which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond,” Hastings said.
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