Shillong, October 16: The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has entered its 10th day, with the death toll nearing 4,000.
As per IANS, official Israeli sources report that more than 1,300 people have been killed since the conflict began on October 7. In addition, 3,621 Israelis have been injured as a result of the ongoing violence.
In Gaza, the death toll has risen to 2,670, with over 9,600 reported injuries, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, located in the Hamas-controlled enclave. In the last 24 hours alone, Gaza recorded 455 fatalities and 856 injuries.
Rescue operations in Gaza are facing significant challenges due to widespread destruction in residential areas and damaged roads leading to hospitals, all resulting from continuous Israeli airstrikes, as noted by Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesman for the Ministry.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that the current death toll in Gaza has surpassed the total number of fatalities (2,251) during the 2014 escalation, which lasted for over seven weeks.
According to the Palestinian Civil Defence, the number of missing individuals, potentially trapped beneath the rubble, may exceed 1,000. As of Monday morning, approximately 600,000 people in the densely-populated enclave have been displaced, with around 300,000 seeking refuge at UN Relief Works Agency-designated emergency shelters.
The United Nations has expressed grave concern, stating that the Middle East “is on the verge of the abyss” and has called on Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.