Day 410: Gaza death toll nears 44,000; winter floods swamp tents
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For the 46th consecutive day, northern Gaza has been subjected to a brutal Israeli siege, compounded by intense air and artillery bombardments.
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Displaced Palestinians inspect their tents destroyed by Israeli bombardment, adjunct to a UNRWA facility west of Rafah city, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli occupation continues its war of genocide against the Gaza Strip, now ongoing for the 410th day, with the Gaza Health Ministry announcing that over the past 24 hours, the Israeli military committed three massacres, resulting in 50 martyrs and 110 injuries, with many victims still trapped under rubble or inaccessible in the streets.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation has killed 43,972 Palestinians and injured 104,008 others, the Ministry confirmed Monday in its daily report.
Meanwhile, the Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip reported on Tuesday that forcibly displaced residents are facing severe hardships as floodwaters continue to seep into their tents.
In an urgent statement, the Office called on international organizations to coordinate with invading Israeli forces to provide aid to the hundreds of thousands of affected families, noting that "these appeals have yet to receive a response from the international community."
This is the city of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza, and these are their patient, steadfast souls despite the severity of the invasion, killing, displacement and bombing by israeli occupation.
— shameen suleman (@shameensuleman) November 19, 2024
From inside the shelters, and with the return of the rains and winter, there is still… pic.twitter.com/xw2H1RNnOm
The statement also raised concerns over the potential establishment of Israeli settlements in the northern Gaza Strip, warning that such developments could exacerbate the already dire humanitarian crisis.
Israeli siege on northern Gaza continues for 46th day
The Israeli occupation has maintained its siege on northern Gaza for the 46th consecutive day, intensifying its military operations across the region.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that several Palestinians were killed and eight others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the vicinity of Al-Iman Mosque in the Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City.
In central Gaza, an infant was killed in an Israeli artillery strike that hit a home in the New Camp area, northwest of Nuseirat.
Crossing North of Wadi Gaza yesterday. More “postcards” of destruction. Carts left behind loaded with belongings against the wreckage. The items that carry memories are long under the rubble. Horrific stories from northern Gaza of the sick and injured, the herding of men on their… pic.twitter.com/QQMQj3ej8k
— Philippa Greer (@philippa_bear) November 18, 2024
Israeli forces also launched heavy artillery fire and military vehicle strikes on Palestinians in the eastern areas of Rafah and Khan Younis, both located in the southern Gaza Strip.
For the 46th consecutive day, northern Gaza has been subjected to a brutal Israeli siege, compounded by intense air and artillery bombardments, leaving the northern governorate isolated from the rest of Gaza.
Israeli invading forces shelled various locations within the Jabalia refugee camp and Beit Lahia. Palestinian youth Mahmoud Salim al-Madhoun was martyred after being shot by an Israeli drone in Beit Lahia, while Ibrahim Mohammad al-Shafie was killed in Israeli shelling in northern Gaza.
Additionally, Israeli forces have continued to disrupt Civil Defense operations for the 28th day, targeting emergency responders and leaving thousands of civilians without critical humanitarian and medical aid.
UN warns of catastrophic humanitarian Crisis in Gaza as winter looms
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels, with widespread displacement and destruction, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland warned on Monday.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East, Wennesland sounded the alarm on the dire conditions in Gaza, particularly in the north, describing the situation as marked by a "disturbing disregard for international humanitarian law."
"As this Council has been briefed repeatedly, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, as winter begins, is catastrophic, particularly developments in the north of Gaza with a large-scale and near-total displacement of the population and widespread destruction and clearing of land, amidst what looks like a disturbing disregard for international humanitarian law," Wennesland said.
Wennesland also addressed the challenges faced by humanitarian agencies operating in Gaza, citing a "challenging and dangerous operational environment" and access restrictions that hinder their work. He stressed the urgent need for unrestricted access to ensure aid can reach the people who desperately need it.
Wennesland also reiterated the importance of a political solution, calling for renewed dialogue and efforts to address the underlying causes of the violence. Without a sustainable political framework, the humanitarian situation is unlikely to improve, he said.
It is worth noting that the Israeli occupation's war on Gaza continues with over 44,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, killed and around 104,000 injured since October 7, 2023, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry on Monday.
