As the ground operations by the Israeli army intensify in Gaza, the Rafah crossing to Egypt has opened for the first time since the war began on October 7.
Qatar has brokered a deal that would see a limited evacuation of foreign nationals and diseased individuals.
Internet, phone services cut off in Gaza
Israel cut off internet and phone services completely again in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning.
This disruption is a second after Israel imposed a near-complete communications blackout on Gaza for nearly 36 hours, from October 27 to early October 29.
Paltel Group wrote on X, “To our good people in the beloved country, we are sorry to announce that communications and internet services have been completely cut off in Gaza.”
It said the interruption was caused by “international routes that were previously reconnected being cut off again”.
NetBlox Observatory, which monitors Internet access, also said that there is a new internet blackout in Gaza.
Israel-Hamas war enters 26th day
The Israeli aggression continues for the 26th day in a row, despite international calls for an end to the violence and escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In Gaza alone, 9,056 Palestinians have been killed, including 3,718 children, 1,929 women and 21,890 citizens wounded due to Israeli attacks.
On Tuesday, October 31, Israeli forces committed a new massacre that claimed the lives of dozens of children and women in the Jabalia camp.
The health ministry of Gaza reported that at least 100 people were killed and 150 injured in the attack camp.
Despite the rising death toll, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, rejected ceasefire attempts, claiming they urged Israel to surrender to Hamas, terrorism, and barbarism.
On Tuesday, the United Nations declared that the Gaza Strip, currently under siege, has become a “graveyard” for thousands of children. “Our gravest fears about the reported numbers of children killed becoming dozens, then hundreds, and ultimately thousands were realised in just a fortnight,” the UN said.
On the Israeli side, at least 1,405 people have been killed, including 326 soldiers and 5,431 injured.
Israel forces’s ground operations in Gaza
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) expanded its ground operation in Gaza by moving tanks, bulldozers, infantrymen and combat engineer units into the Strip.
Military officials warned that the war would be long and difficult, likely extending for months or longer.
The IDF has expanded ground operations to clear Hamas tunnels and fortified strongholds in the Gaza Strip, having attacked 11,000 targets since October 7.
Updates of Tuesday
- The Israel Defense Forces said that troops were engaged in “fierce battles against Hamas deep in Gaza”.
- On Tuesday, Hezbollah intensified military operations against Israeli forces, targeting army positions across Lebanon’s southern border, as Israel intensified its ground assault on the Gaza Strip.
- The Houthis in Yemen claim responsibility for launching missiles and drones from Yemen towards Israel.
- Hamas used mortar shells to attack Israeli vehicles and soldiers at the Erez site, while enemy vehicles entered the Al-Atatra area.
- Palestinian media reports that Hamas used an “Al-Yassin 105” shell to fire an Israeli tank.
