A Hamas delegation met with Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Doha on Wednesday to discuss a truce in Gaza and a possible exchange of hostages and prisoners, the group said in a statement. Hamas said its chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
Key information to remember
⇒ Polio vaccination in Gaza: WHO achieves targets
⇒ Josep Borrell “scandalized” by the death of UN employees
⇒ Gaza: at least a quarter of the injured need long-term rehabilitation
Polio vaccination in Gaza: WHO achieves targets
The first round of polio vaccination in Gaza has likely reached its target, with more than 552,000 children having already received a first dose, WHO said on the last day of the campaign on Thursday, September 12.
“We are confident that we have probably reached the target,” Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization’s representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, said at a news briefing.
Josep Borrell “outraged” by deaths of UN employees
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said he was “scandalised” on Thursday by the death of six UN staff the day before in an Israeli strike on a school in the Gaza Strip.
“The disregard for the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, in particular the protection of civilians, cannot and must not be accepted by the international community,” Josep Borrell said in a message on the social network X.
UN chief confirms deaths of six staff
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres confirmed the deaths of UNRWA staff at the site, giving the death toll at six. “A school converted into a shelter for 12,000 people was again targeted by Israeli airstrikes today. Six of our UNRWA colleagues are among the dead,” he said on the X network.
“What is happening in Gaza is totally unacceptable,” Mr. Guterres stressed, declaring that “these dramatic violations of international humanitarian law must stop immediately.” According to UNRWA, “this is the highest number of deaths among our staff in a single instance.”
Gaza: At least a quarter of the wounded need long-term rehabilitation
At least a quarter of those injured since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip will need long-term rehabilitation, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.
“The dramatic increase in rehabilitation needs is occurring at the same time as the health system is being decimated,” Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, said in a statement. “Immediate and long-term support is urgently needed to meet the enormous rehabilitation needs,” he said.
Hamas Health Ministry Announces New Death Toll of 41,118
The Health Ministry of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip announced on Thursday a new death toll of 41,118 in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war with Israel, which has entered its twelfth month.
At least 34 people have been killed in the past 24 hours, he said in a statement, adding that 95,125 people had been injured in the Gaza Strip since the war began on October 7.