Day 21 updates: Israeli shelling continues; food, housing crises in Gaza; more US troops head to Middle East; settler attacks in WB; Richmond CA passes resolution supporting Gazans
This is a developing story, check back for updates
Find daily casualty figures and previous daily news updates here. For more news, go here and here.
Gaza health ministry publishes names of all those killed
The Gaza health ministry has issued a report that lists the names and ages of all those killed in Israeli air strikes during the ongoing war. The 212-page document lists 6,747 people it says were killed between October 7 and October 26. It includes their names, ages and identification numbers. A further 281 Palestinians, including 248 children, are described as “unidentified”, bringing the total to 7,028, including 2,913 children (1,400 Israelis killed).
Food crisis
A bakery in Nuseirat refugee camp had just received a huge shipment of flour from UNRWA, which would be used to bake half-price bread for the camp residents. As soon as the shipment was unloaded, the bakery was bombed and destroyed. “They aren’t only targeting people and homes,” said Mondoweiss Gaza Correspondent Tareq Hajjaj. “They’re letting in aid, and then they destroy it before it reaches the people who need it.”
The Gaza government press office reported that Israeli airstrikes have destroyed over 5,900 acres of farmland planted with vegetables, as well as several food storage facilities and markets. Food is already scarce in the enclave; Gazan leaders accused Israel of deliberately targeting such areas to “exacerbate the humanitarian disaster.”
Housing crisis
The Gaza Ministry of Public Works and Housing reported that 45% of all housing units in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged.
As of October 23, 16,441 housing units were completely destroyed, 11,340 more have become uninhabitable, and another 150,000 housing sustained minor to moderate damage.
Twelve trucks with humanitarian supplies entered Gaza on 26 October (after security checks by Israeli authorities). About 3,000 truckloads are still waiting on the Egyptian side to enter Gaza.
Communication crisis
People in Gaza suddenly lost almost all contact as internet and mobile phone networks collapsed.
An Al Jazeera reporter said, “We are totally disconnected … between different areas in the Gaza Strip and from the outside world. There is almost [a] cut out all over the Gaza Strip, we cannot reach each other.
“Even the local radio stations are intercepted by the Israeli army spokespersons who keeps … sending warnings to the people.”
When services went down on October 12, Human Rights Watch told the Intercept, “Shutting down the internet in armed conflict is putting civilians at risk. It could help contribute to injury or death because people communicate around what are safe places and conditions.”
Last time, services were out for 9 days, and had been minimal and unpredictable ever since.
Settler violence in West Bank
Israeli settler violence, already high before October 7, has sharply increased.
OCHA has recorded 146 settler attacks against Palestinians, resulting in Palestinian casualties, damage to Palestinian property, or both. This reflects a daily average of seven incidents, compared with three since the beginning of the year.
More than one-third of the incidents involved threats with firearms by settlers. Almost half of all incidents involved Israeli forces accompanying or actively supporting attacking Israeli settlers.
Since 7 October, WHO has documented 108 attacks on health care in the West Bank affecting 88 ambulances and including 59 attacks involving obstruction to delivery of health care; 55 involving physical violence towards health teams; 17 involving detention of health staff and ambulances; and 12 involving militarized search of health assets.
US troops heading to Middle East
About 900 more U.S. troops have arrived in the Middle East or are heading there, adding to the thousands already sent since October 7.
The Pentagon says their purpose is to defend US personnel in the region, where US and coalition troops have been attacked at least 16 times in the last week.
Richmond, CA for Gaza
Following hours of debate and emotional testimony, the Richmond City CA Council voted 5-1 to approve a resolution expressing support for Palestinians in Gaza and accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment.
Jewish leaders and others called the terminology used in resolution “one-sided.” The resolution passed with a vote of 5-1.
Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez declared that there had been “immense” public response to the resolution, mostly positive.
The resolution, available to view online, states in part, “The city of Richmond stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza, who are currently facing a campaign of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment by the state of Israel.”
MORE RECENT NEWS ON GAZA:
- Gaza-Israel: Latest news and statistics (ongoing updates)
- Hersh: Israel considering flooding Gaza tunnels (this would kill hostages)
- How to make sense of the Palestinian call for freedom and justice
- Sec’y Blinken (indirectly) calls Israel’s treatment of Gazans “barbaric”
- WATCH: What was happening in Gaza BEFORE the Hamas attack…
- It’s not just Gaza – Israel is also killing scores in the West Bank
