November 4: Today’s news on Palestine & Israel

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November 4: Today’s news on Palestine & Israel
Palestinians rescue a young girl from the rubble of a destroyed residential building following an Israeli airstrike (photo)

Latest casualty figures from Gaza, horrific humanitarian situation, Israel’s recent targets, politics of a “pause,” West Bank news.

Find previous daily casualty figures and daily news updates here. For more news, go here and here. Live broadcast news from the region is here.

Some people are led to be skeptical of the Al Jazeera news network. However, the network has won several Emmys, a Peabody and the Overseas Press Association’s Edward R.  Murrow award, among many other honors. The New York Times reports that “its reporting hews to international journalistic standards and provides a unique view on events in the Middle East.” it’s important to remember that all news sources may potentially have bias. For example, CNN uses anchors who used to work for the Israel Lobby, who have lifelong attachment to Israel, and who often exhibit pro-Israel spin and omission in their broadcasts. Similarly, Fox News is strongly influenced by Rupert Murdoch, who has a strong attachment to Israel, and who may have fired Tucker Carlson, the network’s most popular host, in part due to the host’s opposition to war and his pattern of failing to exhibit sufficient devotion to Israel).

Latest statistics:

Palestinian death toll 9,157* (9,017 in Gaza** (including at least 3,900 children and 2,405 women, and at least 140 in the West Bank); 34,281 injured (~32,000 in Gaza and over 2,281 in the West Bank). It remains unknown how many Americans are among the casualties. About 1.5 million people have been displaced; 2,100 are missing (1,200 children) and presumed to be under rubble.

**NOTE: The official UN death toll includes 471 Gazans killed in the Al Ahli hospital blast. IAK does not yet include those deaths since the source of the projectile is being disputed; although much evidence points to Israel as the culprit, experts are still looking into the incident. Israel is blocking an international investigation.

Israeli death toll continues to be reported as ~1,400*** (2 killed in West Bank, 24 in Gaza), including 32 Americans, and ~5,400 injured.

***NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries in Israel may have been caused by Israeli soldiers; additionally, since Israel has a policy of universal conscription, it is unknown how many of those attending the outdoor rave a few miles from Gaza on stolen Palestinian land were Israeli soldiers.

Hover over each bar for exact numbers.
Source: IsraelPalestineTimeline.org
 

Humanitarian aid: On 3 November, 47 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies entered Gaza, bringing the total number of trucks that have entered since 21 October to 421. The average number of trucks allowed into Gaza prior to the hostilities was about 500 per day. The entry of fuel, which is desperately needed to operate life-saving equipment, remains banned by the Israeli authorities.

Roughly 1,100 people have left the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing since Wednesday under an apparent agreement among the U.S., Egypt, Israel and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas.

Humanitarian crisis deepens: The UN reports that the average Palestinian in Gaza is living on two pieces of Arabic bread made from flour the United Nations had stockpiled in the region, but “now people are beyond looking for bread. It’s looking for water.” Many families rely on brackish or saline ground water.

Sewage is not being treated, and instead is being pumped into the sea. But once fuel runs out, sewage will flow in the streets.

One woman, who was with her family during Israel’s airstrike on the Al Fakhoora school, spoke to a reporter from the emergency room of the Indonesian Hospital (Al Jazeera, 12:15 GMT):

There is no food or water; there is no electricity; our children are starving. Even clothes – we ran for our lives barefoot. We were showered with missiles; our starving children were killed, torn to pieces; others suffered critical wounds. Our children are starving and bleeding; the whole world is watching.

DCI reports that Israeli forces’ attacks in Gaza and military operations in the occupied West Bank since October 7 result in increasingly widespread grave violations against Palestinian children.

Ambulance convoy with critically injured patients targeted: Israeli airstrikes on an ambulance convoy near the al-Shifa Hospital Friday killed 15 people and wounded 60 others, according to health officials and aid workers. The convoy of ambulances was transporting critically wounded patients from the Al-Shifa Hospital to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt when it was targeted in an Israeli attack.

The Israeli military claimed that Hamas was using the ambulance to transport fighters and weapons. It did not provide evidence to support the claim.

Israeli airstrikes hit two more hospitals. At about the same time as the airstrikes near Al Shifa, Al Quds hospital in Gaza City and the Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza were hit, reportedly during airstrikes, resulting in a large yet unconfirmed number of casualties.

Solar panels targeted: Hind Khoudary, a journalist based in Gaza City, reports that Israeli forces are now targeting the solar panels on rooftops and generators. “This is the only way Palestinians in the Gaza Strip could have any source of electricity. They’re charging their phones, they’re trying to connect to the world” (Al Jazeera 09:45 GMT).

Israel hit the generator and solar panels of the Al Wafa Hospital in Gaza City, causing extensive damage, a power outage, and a large fire (07:51 GMT); the solar panels on top of the Nasser Hospital and surrounding homes were also destroyed. (07:00 GMT).

A water tank serving multiple neighborhoods was also targeted.

Journalists at risk: the Committee to Protect Journalists reports that as of November 3:

Netanyahu vs Blinken: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected U.S. calls for a humanitarian pause in the Israel-Hamas war, telling U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday “we are going full steam ahead,” unless the hostages held by Hamas are released. But, according to a senior Biden administration official, the US believes the fighting will need to take a “fairly significant pause” to allow for their release. Israel is holding over 5,000 Palestinian prisoners, Including children, many of whom have not even been charged with a crime. 

Israeli settler violence: In the past 24 hours, in three incidents, Israeli settlers raided the villages of Jit (Qalqiliya), Deir Sharaf and Ein Shibli (both in Nablus), where they set fire and vandalized homes, agricultural structures, vehicles and crops. Since 7 October, OCHA has recorded 195 settler attacks against Palestinians, resulting in Palestinian casualties (27 incidents), damage to Palestinian property (135 incidents), or both casualties and damage to property (33 incidents).

West Bank displacements: Since 7 October, at least 111 households comprising 905 people, including 356 children, have been displaced amid settler violence and access restrictions. The displaced households are from more than 15 herding/Bedouin communities. An additional 120 Palestinians, including 55 children, have been displaced since 7 October following demolitions in Area C and East Jerusalem, due to lack of permits, and another 23, including 13 children, following punitive demolitions.

Indiscriminate rocket firing by Palestinian armed groups towards Israeli population centers has continued over the past 24 hours with low intensity, resulting in no fatalities.

Information on rocket attacks is here:

 

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