TOPLINE
The war between Israel and Hamas has continued for more than a month, laying waste to the Gaza Strip, killing thousands and displacing many more in the region as the conflict appears likely to continue for some time.
KEY FACTS
1.5 million: That’s how many people in Gaza have been internally displaced, according to the United Nations, which reported 557,000 people are sheltering in facilities unable to bring in new arrivals, prompting concerns of overcrowding.
More than 11,000: The number of people killed in Gaza during the conflict, according to Reuters.
Around 1,200: The revised death toll of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel, Reuters reported, which cited a spokesperson for Israel’s foreign ministry.
More than 400: The number of U.S. citizens and residents who have left the Gaza Strip, according to Reuters, citing the State Department, which noted some U.S. citizens still remain in the war-torn region this week.
About 240: That’s how many hostages Israeli officials believe Hamas and other groups are holding, according to the New York Times, a matter that has become the crux of negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
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756: The total count of humanitarian aid trucks that have crossed into Gaza from Egypt since such trucks were first allowed to do so on Oct. 21, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Egyptian officials and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which said none of the trucks contained fuel.
18: World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus indicated in an emergency meeting that this was the share of Gaza’s 36 hospitals that were not operating in the region (home to about 2.1 million people), according to NBC News, adding facilities are operating beyond capacities and that two-thirds of Gaza’s primary health care centers are not functioning.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Israel agreed Thursday to put four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in place for its military operations in Gaza each day, according to the White House. The pauses have helped hostage talks, according to Politico, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that “no cease-fire” would be achieved without the release of Hamas-held hostages. Politico reported any hostage agreement is likely to be interim and limited in scope.
KEY BACKGROUND
The Israel-Hamas conflict has gone on for more than a month now, after Israel declared war following Hamas’ invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7. The U.S. has stood firm in its support of Israel, a longtime ally. President Joe Biden asked Netanyahu during a Monday call for a three-day pause to allow for hostage negotiations, the Associated Press reported, adding that the president said it took “a little longer” than he hoped for Israel to agree to the current hours-long humanitarian pauses. Despite pushing for humanitarian aid, the White House has been careful to not call for a definitive cease-fire, citing concerns it would allow Hamas to recover and re-tool. Biden has also publicly doubted the death toll coming out of Gaza, saying late last month he had “no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using,” according to Reuters. Calls for a cease-fire have been supported by a majority of the United Nations in addition to tens of thousands of Americans who have participated in cease-fire rallies in recent weeks.
FURTHER READING
Israel-Hamas Conflict: The Grim Statistics After A Week Of War (Forbes)