In the wake of Israel’s enforcement of a comprehensive blockade on Gaza as a response to a sudden offensive by Hamas, a grave humanitarian crisis is rapidly unfolding in the beleaguered region. Stranded residents find themselves grappling with a dearth of vital provisions, while the casualty count from the ongoing confrontations has surged past the grim milestone of 2,000.

Since the imposition of the complete siege on the besieged territory, the Gaza Strip has endured relentless airstrikes.

“No electricity, no food, no water, no gas.”

Israel’s decision to impose a total blockade on the Gaza Strip, home to over 2 million Palestinians, has been condemned as a war crime against a civilian population ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/NzC6vsy06X

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 10, 2023

Israeli military fighter jets targeted over 200 sites during the night in a Gaza City neighborhood that was purportedly used by Hamas as a launching pad for their unprecedented onslaught. Under this “complete siege,” the Israeli defense ministry has suspended the supply of electricity, sustenance, potable water, and fuel to the enclave.

The Palestinian interior ministry reports that most of the targets have been “towers, residential edifices, civil and communal facilities, and numerous places of worship.” However, Hamas vehemently denies any involvement with the targeted towers.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the crowded coastal enclave has borne the tragic loss of a minimum of 900 lives, with 4,600 individuals sustaining injuries in the process. On a fateful Saturday, Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip launched a rampage through parts of southern Israel, marking the deadliest Palestinian assault in the annals of Israel’s history.

Israeli state broadcaster Kan revealed that the weekend’s death toll had surged to an alarming 1,200. Dozens of Israeli citizens and foreign nationals found themselves apprehended and taken into Gaza as captives, with some of them shamefully paraded through the streets on display via social media.

Hamas maintains that this ferocious attack was a direct response to Israeli transgressions within the highly contentious Al-Aqsa Masjid complex, located in occupied East Jerusalem, as well as a mounting wave of settler-driven violence. The situation remains fluid and fraught with tension as the world watches these tragic events unfold.

Gaza will become completely dark

Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday that the Government Media Office in Gaza issued a dire warning, stating that the Gaza Strip is on the brink of a looming humanitarian catastrophe. The perilous situation arises from the imminent complete shutdown of the power plant, which is expected within a matter of hours due to the exhaustion of its fuel reserves.

This impending power outage poses a severe threat, as it could cast the entire Strip into absolute darkness, rendering it nearly impossible to sustain the provision of essential life services. These vital services, all hinging on a supply of electricity, cannot be maintained even partially through the use of generators, given the restrictions on fuel shipments at the Rafah Gate.

The ramifications of this catastrophic situation reverberate across all strata of Gaza’s population, creating a dire humanitarian crisis. This crisis is further compounded by the relentless aggression from the occupying forces, resulting in the wanton destruction of entire residential neighborhoods through the use of hundreds of tons of explosives. Additionally, the deliberate targeting of citizens’ homes, effectively turning them into collateral damage, has been described as one of the most reprehensible instances of collective punishment against vulnerable civilians in recent history.

The international community is urged to respond swiftly to halt what is characterized as a crime against humanity, a multi-faceted act of mass murder. It is imperative to ensure the provision of essential means for life within the Gaza Strip and not to abandon its residents, who find themselves at the mercy of the oppressive tactics employed by the occupying forces.

Humanitarian crisis

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a grave warning on Monday, underscoring the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, which had been in a precarious state even before the outbreak of hostilities. He emphasized that the current conflict will only exacerbate the hardships exponentially.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) strongly criticized Israel’s decision to impose a comprehensive blockade on Gaza, deeming it a form of “collective punishment” and branding it as a “war crime.”

The World Food Programme added its voice to the growing concerns on Sunday, noting that while most shops in the territory maintain “one-month stocks of food,” the surge in demand due to fears of a prolonged conflict is rapidly depleting these reserves. Furthermore, frequent electricity cuts pose a significant risk of food spoilage.

For Nadine and her family, the situation remains incredibly dire. She revealed, “We have no water; it was cut off yesterday (Monday). We barely get electricity or internet, and we can’t leave the house to buy food as it’s getting more and more dangerous.” The sound of approaching aircraft sends them diving for cover, adding to the palpable fear and uncertainty that grips the region, as reported by CNN.

White phosphorus bombs

As the Israel-Hamas conflict entered its fifth day on Wednesday, Palestine has made a grave accusation, alleging that the Israeli military deployed white phosphorus bombs against civilians in the Karama neighborhood of the Gaza Strip.

In a statement released on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry asserted, “The Israeli occupation is employing internationally prohibited white phosphorus bombs against the Palestinian population in the Karama neighborhood in northern Gaza.” This accusation adds a concerning dimension to the ongoing hostilities in the region.

Israeli warplanes and artillery use internationally #prohibited_white_phosphorus, destroying #Al_Karama neighborhood in the northwest of Gaza City with a continuous series of airstrikes. There are casualties and wounded, while ambulances and civil defense vehicles are unable to… pic.twitter.com/ym7zfKqIBH

— State of Palestine – MFA 🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@pmofa) October 10, 2023

Rami Abdo, the founder of the European Observatory for Human Rights, shared a video clip on the X platform, alleging that it depicted the Israeli military’s use of white phosphorus munitions. In his message, he claimed, “Israeli military forces are employing toxic white phosphorus [bombs] in densely populated areas to the northwest of Gaza City.” This video further fuels concerns about the tactics employed in the ongoing conflict.

According to Anadolu, the New York-based human rights organization Human Rights Watch had previously referenced reports of Israel’s use of white phosphorus bombs in Gaza during previous conflicts. It’s worth noting that the use of white phosphorus weapons for creating a smokescreen and concealing troop movements is generally accepted under international law. However, the 1980 Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits its use in densely populated areas, raising questions about the legality of its deployment in this context.

⚡️The regime is using what looks like Phosphorus munitions on civilian areas in Gaza pic.twitter.com/6N4d3Arjkh

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) October 10, 2023

Israel has not yet provided a response to the claim regarding the use of white phosphorus bombs.

The Israeli military has reported that dozens of its fighter jets conducted strikes on over 200 targets during the overnight hours in a Gaza City neighborhood, asserting that these locations were being used by Hamas for launching their unprecedented offensive.

Tragically, the Gaza Strip’s health ministry has confirmed a substantial toll, with at least 900 lives lost and 4,600 individuals sustaining injuries in this densely populated coastal enclave.

Over the weekend, Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip carried out a devastating incursion into parts of southern Israel, marking the deadliest attack in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Israeli death toll has risen to 1,200, as reported by an Israeli military spokesperson.

Regrettably, the majority of the victims have been civilians, many of whom were caught in their homes, on the streets, or even at an outdoor dance gathering. The situation has taken a dire turn with scores of Israelis and foreigners being taken captive and transferred to Gaza, where some have been publicly paraded through the streets, as documented on social media.

Hamas maintains that this attack was in response to what it perceives as Israeli transgressions at the highly contentious Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem and the escalation of settler-driven violence. The situation remains fraught with tension, and the international community watches closely as the crisis unfolds.

More than 260,000 people displaced in Gaza

The Gaza Strip has witnessed a staggering exodus of over 260,000 people, compelled to flee their homes due to the relentless Israeli bombardments delivered from the air, land, and sea. This grim revelation was reported by the United Nations, with the UN humanitarian agency OCHA providing an update on Tuesday. They caution that this number is anticipated to rise further, amplifying the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis.

It’s worth noting that around 3,000 individuals had already been displaced before the escalation of hostilities on Saturday. The ongoing bombing campaign has left destruction in its wake, with more than 1,000 housing units demolished, and an additional 560 units rendered uninhabitable, as reported by Palestinian authorities and cited by OCHA.

Of the displaced population, nearly 175,500 individuals have sought refuge in 88 schools administered by the UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Another 14,500 people have found shelter in government schools, and approximately 74,000 are estimated to be staying with friends, family, or seeking safety in churches and other facilities.

This staggering number of displaced individuals inside Gaza now stands as the highest recorded since the 50-day escalation of hostilities in 2014, underscoring the gravity of the current situation.

OCHA also raises a crucial concern, pointing out that for those who have not been displaced, meeting their basic needs is becoming increasingly challenging. Furthermore, Israel’s imposition of a “complete siege” on the already blockaded Gaza Strip, including the cutoff of vital supplies like food, water, fuel, and electricity, has been widely criticized. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that this move is exacerbating the already dire humanitarian circumstances in the region.

Airstrike on the home of the Hamas commander

Israeli media outlets have reported that the Israeli military executed an airstrike on the residence of relatives of Mohammad Deif, the Hamas military commander. This strike occurred in the Qizan an Najjar neighborhood situated in Khan Younis, a southern city within the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian reports confirm that Deif’s father, brother, his son, and the brother’s granddaughter tragically lost their lives in the course of this attack. According to Al Mayadeen, an undetermined number of relatives were present in the residence at the time and have now become trapped under the debris, further underscoring the grave toll of the ongoing conflict.

14 Americans killed

In a speech delivered on Tuesday, President Biden confirmed that at least 14 Americans have tragically lost their lives, and there are others who remain unaccounted for amidst the ongoing conflict.

As part of efforts to deter an escalation of the conflict, the United States has deployed an aircraft carrier and other warships to the eastern Mediterranean. In addition to this show of force, the U.S. is providing various forms of assistance, including intelligence sharing with Israel.

Relatives of Americans believed to be held in Gaza are fervently calling on the Biden administration to secure their safe return home.

The repercussions of the conflict have reverberated far beyond the immediate region, with Western powers and numerous other nations reporting their citizens as killed, abducted, or missing. These nations include Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Nepal, Panama, Paraguay, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Ukraine.

Hamas is holding approximately 150 captives since its ground incursion, a group comprising children, the elderly, and young people who were captured during a music festival where around 270 individuals tragically lost their lives.

On Monday, Hamas issued a warning that it would begin executing hostages each time Israel launches an attack on a civilian target in Gaza without warning. French President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned this threat, labeling it as “unacceptable blackmail.”

The 2.3 million Palestinians residing in the beleaguered coastal territory have been living in an environment marred by fear and chaos, as it continues to endure the onslaught of thousands of Israeli munitions.

Hamas reported that the Israeli strikes claimed the lives of two of its senior figures: Zakaria Muammar, who led its economics section, and Jawad Abu Shamala, who was responsible for coordinating ties with other Palestinian factions.

Tragically, four Palestinian journalists were also killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, as reported by media unions and officials.

The EU opposes a complete siege

On Monday, Israel imposed a comprehensive blockade on Gaza, a territory it has already been blockading for years. This new move includes cutting off essential supplies such as water, food, electricity, and other necessities, further exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation.

European Union foreign ministers have collectively called on Israel to refrain from cutting off these essential provisions and have urged the establishment of humanitarian corridors to aid those attempting to escape the conflict.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk pointed out that such sieges are explicitly prohibited under international humanitarian law. The situation on the ground is growing increasingly dire, with medical supplies, including oxygen, running perilously low at Gaza’s overwhelmed Al-Shifa hospital, as reported by Dr. Mohammed Ghonim, who works in the emergency room.

Israel was shocked from surprise attack

Israel is grappling with the aftermath of an unprecedented ground, air, and sea assault by Hamas, which commenced with a barrage of thousands of rockets. Some have likened the scale of this attack to the impact of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

In the wake of the assault, soldiers stationed along the high-tech security barrier surrounding Gaza have shared their accounts, explaining how the attack began with an attempt to disable observation cameras and communication systems. Many soldiers admitted that they were caught off guard and unprepared for the scale of the assault.

Israel is now confronted with the looming threat of a multi-front war, as clashes with militants on the northern border with Lebanon persisted for three days. Notably, for the first time since the Hamas attack, there was an exchange of fire between Israel and forces in Syria, initiated after Israel’s military reported the firing of munitions toward the Golan Heights, an area occupied by Israel since 1967.

Mourning and anger prevail in the southern Lebanese village of Khirbet Selm, where mourners carried the caskets of two fighters draped in yellow Hezbollah flags. These fighters were reportedly killed in Israeli strikes the previous day. Additionally, the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement reported a third fighter killed in the conflict.

On Tuesday, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for a fresh salvo of rocket fire from southern Lebanon towards Israel. The Israeli army confirmed it had responded with artillery fire. The situation on the ground is being described by some as resembling a state of war.

Unrest has also surged in the West Bank, where 15 Palestinians have tragically lost their lives since the conflict began on Saturday.

In light of these events, Prime Minister Netanyahu has called for an “emergency government of national unity.” This call comes after his administration’s proposal for judicial reforms divided the nation earlier this year, but the conflict has since brought the nation closer together.