While the strikes continue and a hospital in Gaza was hit by a rocket fire, clashes are escalating between Israel and Hamas. The UN warns of the humanitarian situation which is “becoming out of control”.
The essential
- Israel on one side, Hamas and Islamic Jihad on the other. The two camps accuse each other of being behind the strike which hit the Al-Ahli Arabi hospital, in the north of Gaza, on October 17. The Jewish state claims to have “proof” of the responsibility of Islamist groups and has received the support of Joe Biden who declared from Tel Aviv that the strike on the hospital appears to be the work of “the opposing party”. The international community denounced an attack contrary to international law without pointing out anyone guilty.
- Several demonstrations took place across the Arab world to protest the hospital strike and the deaths of Palestinian civilians. If the rallies which took place in Tunis (Tunisia) in Beirut (Lebanon) or even in Tehran (Iran) occur after the Lebanese Hezbollah, close to Hamas, called for “a day of anger”, it should be noted that the support for the Palestinian population does not amount to support for Hamas.
- Joe Biden traveled to Tel Aviv, Israel, this Wednesday, October 18 to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “reaffirm the solidarity of the United States” with Israel, its first ally in the Middle East, in the conflict which pits the Jewish state against Hamas. But the American president also wants to avoid too many human losses in Gaza and warn his ally who is preparing an attack on the Palestinian enclave. He has already warned that an occupation of the Gaza Strip would be “a serious mistake”.
- The humanitarian situation continues to worsen in Gaza and is “becoming out of control” according to the head of the World Health Organization (WHO). The enclave deprived of electricity and water also lacks humanitarian aid which cannot or can hardly arrive due to the lack of a humanitarian corridor. More than 1.1 million people have been displaced in the Gaza Strip since the start of the conflict.
- The Israeli army asked residents of the Gaza Strip to head towards “the humanitarian zone in the Mawasi region” this Wednesday, October 18, in a message on X (former Twitter). This is where “international humanitarian aid will be directed if necessary” adds the army without giving any guarantee on the presence of aid at this time.
- As for the Rahaf border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, the Egyptian government assures that it has “not closed the Rafah crossing” but that the humanitarian aid stuck on the Egyptian side for days cannot take it because of the “Israeli bombings”. He also warns against an exodus of Palestinians to Egypt, a movement which the country opposes.
- The UN calls for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas. The organization’s secretary general Antonio Guterres said he was “horrified” by the situation and stressed that “the Hamas terrorist attack should not justify ‘collective punishment’ of the Palestinian population.
- The toll of the war between Israel and Hamas left “around 3,000” dead and “more than 12,500 injured” in the Gaza Strip, according to Hamas. An estimate, however, announced early Tuesday evening, before the terrible attack on the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza which could have left several hundred dead according to Hamas. In Israel, strikes by the Islamist group left 1,400 dead according to the ministry.
- 199 people are being held hostage by Hamas, according to figures provided by the Israeli army on October 16. They would be “between 200 and 250” according to Hamas, which spoke on the subject a few hours later. No negotiations are underway to try to free the hostages in a prisoner exchange.
- 21 French people were killed in the strikes and 11 others are still missing and “very probably hostages” announced the Quai d’Orsay on October 17.
Images of the conflict
Context
The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023 with a surprise and massive strike launched by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on the Jewish state. Many fighters carried out incursions near the Gaza Strip border while airstrikes were launched. These terrorist attacks gave rise to scenes of horror and massacres in several Jewish kibbutzim in Israel.
Israel ordered the response within hours of the attack before imposing a siege on Gaza on Monday, October 9. The same day the Israeli army announced that it had regained control of the border with the Gaza Strip. Since then it seems to be preparing a ground attack on Palestinian territory.