
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>More than 20,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the enclave’s Hamas-run health ministry said in an update on Friday, as the United Nations Security Council once again delayed a vote on a resolution to allow desperately needed aid to enter the Palestinian territory.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>According to the Hamas-run health ministry, 20,057 people have died in the conflict so far and 53,320 Palestinians have been wounded.</p>



<p>The death toll does not differentiate between Gazan civilians and Hamas combatants but earlier breakdowns said women and children make up approximately two-thirds of the overall death toll.</p>



<p>Friday’s gruesome milestone means nearly 1% of Gaza’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newarab.com/news/despite-israels-blockade-gazas-population-surpasses-23m" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prewar population</a>&nbsp;of 2.3 million—has been killed in the ongoing war.</p>



<p>According to UN estimates, more than 85%—<a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNzBlMWZkMzYtY2ZiYy00OTljLTk5NDMtOTg0ZDAxODM4YWM5IiwidCI6IjBmOWUzNWRiLTU0NGYtNGY2MC1iZGNjLTVlYTQxNmU2ZGM3MCIsImMiOjh9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nearly 2 million</a>—of the enclave’s total population have been displaced by the conflict so far.</p>



<p>On Thursday, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wfp.org/news/gaza-grapples-catastrophic-hunger-new-report-predicts-famine-if-conflict-continues" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>&nbsp;released by a UN-backed body warned nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population faces imminent starvation while more than 90% of the population was facing a “crisis or worse” level of food insecurity.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>22,000. That is the number of aerial bombings Israel has carried out over Gaza since the start of the war, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-bombs-destruction-death-toll-scope-419488c511f83c85baea22458472a796" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Associated Press</a>&nbsp;estimate. This is significantly higher than the nearly 15,000 airstrikes carried out by the U.S. and its allies in Iraq over a period between 2014 and 2017 during their battle against the Islamic State (IS).</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>A United Nations Security Council vote on the delivery of much-needed aid to Gaza was delayed once again on Thursday as the council’s members attempted to hash out a resolution that would avoid being vetoed. On Thursday, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/12/21/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news/the-un-security-council-is-set-to-vote-on-a-resolution-calling-for-a-pause-in-fighting-to-deliver-more-aid-into-gaza?smid=url-share" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a> the U.S. was prepared to vote in favor of a resolution “that will support humanitarian assistance” on the ground. The U.S. had <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/12/21/us-working-to-negotiate-humanitarian-aid-in-gaza-to-avoid-a-veto-at-un-security-council/?sh=3a85d3617b8a">vetoed</a> an earlier resolution by the council which had called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.</p>


Encircled By Israel, Gaza Faces Catastrophe As Death Toll Soars

More Than 20,000 Dead In Gaza Amid Israel-Hamas War, Hamas-Run Health Ministry Says


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed to extend an ongoing temporary ceasefire by an additional day, just minutes before it was set to expire, a move that will allow for continued negotiations on the release of more hostages from Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The extension was announced by the&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MofaQatar_EN/status/1730096017763107245" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Qatari Foreign Ministry</a>—which is mediating discussions between the two sides—just minutes before the ceasefire agreement was set to expire at 7 a.m. local time.</p>



<p>The extended truce maintains the same conditions both sides had agreed to previously where Hamas will release at least 10 Israeli hostages every day in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners.</p>



<p>Qatari officials said efforts for permanent ceasefire agreement are still ongoing.</p>



<p>The Israeli Prime Minister’s office said it has already informed the relatives of hostages who are expected to be released on Thursday, with&nbsp;<em>Haaretz</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-11-30/ty-article-live/12-israelis-four-thai-nationals-released-from-hamas-captivity-in-gaza/0000018c-1e28-db78-adcc-be7c50fb0007?liveBlogItemId=720471109&amp;htm_source=site&amp;htm_medium=button&amp;htm_campaign=live_blog_item#720471109" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reporting</a>&nbsp;that the list could include eight women and children.</p>



<p><em>This is a developing story</em>.</p>


Two-Day Truce Extension Promises Release Of More Israeli Hostages And Palestinian Prisoners

Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Extended By One More Day Minutes Before It Was Set To Expire


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Israeli forces raided the Al-Shifa Hospital complex in Gaza—the enclave’s largest medical facility—early Wednesday, in what they described as a “precise and targeted operation” against Hamas, a day after UN officials raised alarm about the deteriorating conditions at the hospital.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The Israeli Defense Forces&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1724579353193754958" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">called</a>&nbsp;the raid an “operational necessity” and said it is taking place “in a specified area” of the hospital based on intelligence.</p>



<p>The IDF said its raiding forces include medical teams and Arabic speakers and wants to ensure that “no harm is caused to the civilians being used by Hamas as human shields.”</p>



<p>The IDF also claims its raid on the hospital complex comes after a 12-hour warning to stop all military activities from the site was not heeded.</p>



<p>Thousands of civilians, patients, and doctors are believed to be sheltering at the hospital, which has been without power since the weekend, prompting a warning from the United Nations’ Humanitarian Affairs Office (OCHA) that several patients, including at least 36 babies, are facing a “heightened risk of death.”</p>



<p>The IDF said it has facilitated “wide-scale evacuations of the hospital,” however these claims have faced some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-12-2023-20f5dcd135b7eb34238a7b25ce560d0c" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pushback</a>&nbsp;from health officials and people trapped inside the hospital, with Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry accusing Israel of effectively blockading the complex.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEWS PEG</h2>



<p>Israel has accused Hamas of operating a command post inside tunnel complexes underneath Al-Shifa and said it was using the hospital’s patients and doctors as human shields. Both Hamas and hospital authorities have denied these allegations. On Tuesday, White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/white-house-says-it-has-evidence-hamas-using-al-shifa-hospital-run-military-2023-11-14/#:~:text=%22We%20have%20information%20that%20confirms,reporters%20aboard%20Air%20Force%20One." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told reporters</a> that U.S. officials had intelligence that aligned with Israel’s claims about Hamas using the hospital. Following the Israeli raid, Hamas issued a statement saying it holds Israel and President Joe Biden “fully responsible” for the operation. Hamas added that it viewed Kirby’s statement as a “green light” for Israeli forces to “commit more massacres against civilians.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>While describing Hamas’ actions as a war crime, Kirby said: “To be clear, we do not support striking a hospital from the air. We do not want to see a firefight in a hospital where innocent people, helpless people, sick people are simply trying to get the medical care they deserve. We have been clear on multiple occasions &#8211; Hamas&#8217; actions do not lessen Israel&#8217;s responsibilities to protect civilians in Gaza.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>On Monday evening, a World Health Organization official&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67410093" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">described</a>&nbsp;Al-Shifa Hospital as “nearly a cemetery” on Monday and said dead bodies piling up inside the hospital. On Tuesday, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry&nbsp;<a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-39" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">claimed</a>&nbsp;40 patients died inside Al-Shifa on Tuesday and the hospital’s staff were trying to bury nearly 180 bodies in a mass grave inside the hospital complex. Doctors at the hospital have&nbsp;<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/13/middleeast/gaza-babies-incubators-al-shifa-hospital-israel-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warned</a>&nbsp;that the lives of dozens of premature babies were at risk as they had to be moved out of their incubators after the hospital lost power. The IDF has&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1724315771340214353" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">offered</a>&nbsp;to send additional incubators to the hospital but it is unclear how they would be used without power.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/11/14/who-says-gazas-largest-hospital-is-nearly-a-cemetery-as-israel-offers-to-send-incubators/?sh=4140dc985337">WHO Says Gaza’s Largest Hospital Is ‘Nearly A Cemetery’ As Israel Offers To Send Incubators</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/11/13/world-cannot-stand-silent-who-says-gazas-largest-hospital-has-ceased-functioning/?sh=59de8f1324bb">‘World Cannot Stand Silent’—WHO Says Gaza’s Largest Hospital Has Ceased Functioning</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Palestinians taking shelter around Nasser Hospital live under difficult conditions in Gaza

Israeli Says Its Forces Have Entered Gaza’s Largest Hospital


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The war between Israel and Hamas has continued for more than a month, laying waste to the Gaza Strip, killing thousands and displacing many more in the region as the conflict appears likely to continue for some time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p><strong>1.5 million:&nbsp;</strong>That’s how many people in Gaza have been internally displaced, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-32#:~:text=Displacement%20(Gaza%20Strip),the%20remainder%20with%20host%20families." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Nations</a>, which reported 557,000 people are sheltering in facilities unable to bring in new arrivals, prompting concerns of overcrowding.</p>



<p><strong>More than 11,000:</strong>&nbsp;The number of people&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-officials-say-hospitals-come-under-new-israeli-attacks-2023-11-10/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">killed</a>&nbsp;in Gaza during the conflict, according to Reuters.</p>



<p><strong>Around 1,200:</strong>&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-revises-death-toll-oct-7-hamas-attack-around-1200-2023-11-10/#:~:text=JERUSALEM%2C%20Nov%2010%20(Reuters),previous%20government%20estimate%20of%201%2C400." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">revised death toll</a>&nbsp;of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel, Reuters reported, which cited a spokesperson for Israel&#8217;s foreign ministry.</p>



<p><strong>More than 400:</strong>&nbsp;The number of U.S. citizens and residents who have left the Gaza Strip, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/more-than-400-us-citizens-residents-have-left-gaza-spokesperson-2023-11-07/#:~:text=More%20than%20400%20US%20citizens,Reuters" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reuters</a>, citing the State Department, which noted some U.S. citizens still remain in the war-torn region this week.</p>



<p><strong>About 240:&nbsp;</strong>That’s how many hostages Israeli officials believe Hamas and other groups are holding, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/israel-hostages-hamas-explained.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York Times</a>, a matter that has become the<a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/israel-hamas-hostage-deal-critical-juncture-gaza/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;crux of negotiations</a>&nbsp;between Israel and Hamas.</p>



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<p><strong>756:&nbsp;</strong>The total count of humanitarian aid trucks that have crossed into Gaza from Egypt since such trucks were first allowed to do so on Oct. 21, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-2023-11-08/card/more-than-100-aid-trucks-reach-gaza-in-largest-single-day-convoy-YsfsqJaxyKLQifBui5sg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;reported, citing Egyptian officials and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which said none of the trucks contained fuel.</p>



<p><strong>18:</strong>&nbsp;World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus indicated in an emergency meeting that this was the share of Gaza’s 36 hospitals that were not operating in the region (home to about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2.1 million people</a>), according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-rcna124563/rcrd25458?canonicalCard=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBC News</a>, adding facilities are operating beyond capacities and that two-thirds of Gaza’s primary health care centers are not functioning.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Israel agreed Thursday to put four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in place for its military operations in Gaza each day, according to the White House. The pauses have helped hostage talks, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/israel-hamas-hostage-deal-critical-juncture-gaza/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Politico</a>, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/09/politics/israel-pauses-gaza-white-house/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insisted</a>&nbsp;that “no cease-fire” would be achieved without the release of Hamas-held hostages. Politico reported any hostage agreement is likely to be interim and limited in scope.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The Israel-Hamas conflict has gone on for more than a month now, after Israel declared war following Hamas’ invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7. The U.S. has stood firm in its support of Israel, a longtime ally. President Joe Biden asked Netanyahu during a Monday call for a three-day pause to allow for hostage negotiations, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-humanitarian-pauses-b8fc613ffd8b9351c0dc37b90b6e10dd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Associated Press</a>&nbsp;reported, adding that the president said it took “a little longer” than he hoped for Israel to agree to the current hours-long humanitarian pauses. Despite pushing for humanitarian aid, the White House has been careful to not call for a definitive cease-fire, citing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-at-a-press-availability-41/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">concerns</a>&nbsp;it would allow Hamas to recover and re-tool. Biden has also publicly doubted the death toll coming out of Gaza, saying late last month he had &#8220;no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using,” according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/despite-bidens-doubts-humanitarian-agencies-consider-gaza-toll-reliable-2023-10-27/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reuters</a>. Calls for a cease-fire have been supported by a majority of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/27/united-nations-votes-overwhelmingly-in-favour-of-humanitarian-truce-in-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Nations</a>&nbsp;in addition to tens of thousands of Americans who have participated in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/11/04/thousands-descend-on-washington-for-gaza-cease-fire-rally-photos/?sh=6a381a4a1df7">cease-fire rallies</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/10/14/israel-hamas-conflict-the-grim-statistics-after-a-week-of-war/?sh=3d27aea84407">Israel-Hamas Conflict: The Grim Statistics After A Week Of War</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-revises-death-toll-oct-7-hamas-attack-around-1200-2023-11-10/#:~:text=JERUSALEM%2C%20Nov%2010%20(Reuters),previous%20government%20estimate%20of%201%2C400." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Israel revises Hamas attack death toll to &#8216;around 1,200&#8217;</a>&nbsp;(Reuters)</p>


Israel’s Response To Hamas Attack Complicated By Hostages And Concerns Over Gaza Campaign

Israel-Hamas Conflict: The Bleak Numbers After 36 Days Of Fighting


<p><strong>South Africa intensifies its critique of Israel, recalling diplomats and slamming actions in Gaza as war crimes. As international condemnation grows, the government contemplates further sanctions amid widespread protests and calls for a decisive international response.</strong></p>



<p>South Africa has recalled its diplomatic corps from Israel for consultation, with the country&#8217;s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, issuing a strong critique of Israel&#8217;s ground invasion of Gaza. Pandor stated that the killing of children in the Palestinian region is a &#8220;war crime&#8221;.</p>



<p>Pandor was responding to questions she received after the Cabinet announcement today, withdrawing South Africa&#8217;s diplomats from Tel Aviv.</p>



<p>The African National Congress (ANC)-led South African government has long shown solidarity with the Palestinian cause, with Palestinian resistance movements providing social and military aid in the fight against apartheid in South Africa.</p>



<p>Israel&#8217;s response to the attacks of Hamas on October 7, which, at the time of writing, have seen at least 10,000 casualties among Palestinians in Gaza, was strongly condemned by the South African government.</p>



<p>&#8220;We believe the nature of the response by Israel has become one of collective punishment,&#8221; continued Pandor, &#8220;which falls outside the practices of international humanitarian and international human rights law.&#8221;</p>



<p>South Africans themselves have demonstrated in vast numbers in the major cities of Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, with protests occurring almost weekly outside the United States Embassy and Consulate.</p>



<p>South Africa is not the only country to have instituted diplomatic responses to Israel in recent weeks, with Chad also recalling its ambassador earlier today. Several South American governments, such as Colombia, Chile, and Bolivia, had earlier done the same.</p>



<p>The South African branch of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement welcomed the decision by the government but also critiqued the time taken to make such an action.</p>



<p>&#8220;The SA BDS Coalition welcomes our government’s Cabinet statement condemning Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people,&#8221; said Roshan Dadoo, spokesperson for the BDS, to FORBES AFRICA. &#8220;However, it took more than 10,000 Palestinians to be killed by the apartheid Israeli state before our government recalled all South African diplomatic staff for consultations.&#8221;</p>



<p>South Africa might take even further action following the last three weeks of conflict, with Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni stating in today&#8217;s post-Cabinet briefing that Israeli Ambassador Eliav Belotsercovsky&#8217;s position was &#8220;very untenable&#8221;.</p>



<p>Belotsercovsky has been directly critiqued by both the Cabinet and Pandor for his remarks in South African media as of late, with Minister Ntshaveni also stating that President Cyril Ramaphosa had instructed the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to chastise him for &#8220;disparaging remarks&#8230;about those who are opposing the atrocities and the genocide of the Israeli government.&#8221;</p>



<p>&#8220;A genocide under the watch of the international community cannot be tolerated,&#8221; said Ntshaveni, sparing no words. &#8220;Another holocaust in the history of humanity cannot be tolerated.&#8221;</p>



<p>The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) spokesperson Charisse Zeifert said in a statement to FORBES AFRICA that the organization is seeking an urgent meeting with President Ramaphosa regarding today&#8217;s Cabinet decision, stating, &#8220;Severing ties would be a decision contrary to everything that the government claims it stands for, that is, talking to both sides of the conflict. And the only people who will stand to lose are South African citizens.&#8221;</p>



<p>Both the South African Jewish community and the Palestinian diaspora have deep ties within the country, with tensions unlikely to abate without a greater resolution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine itself.</p>



<p>&#8220;The South African people demand our government act in multilateral fora towards an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian assistance for people trapped in Gaza with UN protection, for the reinstatement of the UN anti-apartheid mechanisms towards international sanctions and an arms embargo, and a swift investigation and prosecutions by the International Criminal Court into war crimes, crimes against humanity including the crime of genocide and apartheid,&#8221; concluded the statement by BDS.</p>


Escalating Tensions: South Africa’s Diplomatic Withdrawal From Israel


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Starlink internet satellites will be made accessible to aid organizations in Gaza, according to a Saturday <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1718224153474388433?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">post</a> from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, as the region continues to experience Israeli bombardments amid a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/10/27/gaza-experiences-communications-blackout-as-israel-expands-ground-force-activity/?sh=507ea9da7774">communications blackout</a> that began Friday.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="733" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GettyImages-1358883297.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-53654" style="aspect-ratio:1.3969986357435198;width:528px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GettyImages-1358883297.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GettyImages-1358883297-300x215.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GettyImages-1358883297-768x550.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for TIME)</figcaption></figure></div>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Musk pledged Starlink connectivity support for “internationally recognized aid groups” and the United Nations in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1718224153474388433?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">two</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1718225344568668417?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">posts</a>&nbsp;on X, formerly known as Twitter.</p>



<p>Musk initially responded to a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DrLoupis/status/1717960271895883898?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">post</a>&nbsp;that called for Starlink support in Gaza, saying it&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1718206478283133105?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wasn’t clear</a>&nbsp;who had the authority for ground links in Gaza and that SpaceX had not received a request from any terminals in the region, which are required on the ground to receive the satellite internet service.</p>



<p>Musk has also faced calls to extend internet access to civilians and journalists documenting the situation in Gaza.</p>



<p>The posts come less than a day after the Gaza Strip was hit with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/10/27/gaza-experiences-communications-blackout-as-israel-expands-ground-force-activity/?sh=507ea9da7774">major communications disruptions</a>, causing multiple humanitarian agencies such as the Red Crescent, the World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children&#8217;s Emergency Fund to lose contact with their medical teams and workers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The communications collapse in Gaza occurred Friday, when telecommunications company Paltel told the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-airstrikes-region-e41b5b12e8cdf9db62395314d9a782b6?taid=653bf435d6113200015b4286&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Associated Press</a>&nbsp;that Israeli bombardments in Gaza caused “a complete disruption of all communication and internet services.” Amid the disruption, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said on Friday that ground forces were expanding activity in Gaza, in a tweet translated by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/27/israel-hamas-war-updates-and-latest-news-on-gaza-conflict.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CNBC</a>. An Israeli ground invasion of Gaza has been widely anticipated in the three weeks since Hamas launched an attack on Israel, starting the ongoing war. Mark Regev, senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told MSNBC on Friday night that Hamas would “feel our wrath tonight,” a statement followed up by a constant bombardment at the Israel-Gaza border as the Israeli military forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-airstrikes-region-e41b5b12e8cdf9db62395314d9a782b6?taid=653bf435d6113200015b4286&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ramped up ground operations</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>More than 8,000. That’s how many people have died on both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-death-toll-numbers-injured-5c9dc40bec95a8408c83f3c2fb759da0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Associated Press</a>. The Palestinian death toll streaked past 7,000 this week, according to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza. Some 1,400 Israelis were reportedly killed in Hamas’ attack.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/10/27/gaza-experiences-communications-blackout-as-israel-expands-ground-force-activity/?sh=6383a8ce7774">World Health Organization Loses Contact With Gaza Staff Amid Communications Blackout&nbsp;</a>(<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-airstrikes-region-e41b5b12e8cdf9db62395314d9a782b6?taid=653bf435d6113200015b4286&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Israel steps up air and ground attacks in Gaza and cuts off the territory’s communications</a> (AP)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/"></a></p>


Israeli attacks continue on the 22nd day in Gaza

Elon Musk Says Starlink Will Support ‘Recognized’ Aid Groups In Gaza


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Humanitarian aid continued to flow into Gaza Sunday afternoon through the Rafah border crossing—the crossing between Egypt and Gaza that was opened for the first time in two weeks on Saturday.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Fourteen additional aid trucks were allowed into Gaza Sunday afternoon, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/UNReliefChief/status/1716183555343085624?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">post</a>&nbsp;on X by Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.</p>



<p>The first trucks with aid arrived in Gaza yesterday and carried food, water and medical supplies, though the World Health Organization said much more is needed, NBC News&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-rcna121580" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>, and the aid trucks notably did not have fuel, which Gaza has been without for weeks.</p>



<p>Aid had been blocked—but the allowance of it was recently&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/UNReliefChief/status/1716183555343085624?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">negotiated</a>&nbsp;by leaders including President Joe Biden—since Israel implemented a blockade after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>Griffiths called the second convoy of trucks entering Gaza “another small glimmer of hope for the millions of people in dire need of humanitarian aid,” in the&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/UNReliefChief/status/1716183555343085624?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;on X. “But they need more, much more,” he continued. He had previously said Saturday’s delivery was a “very good start, but it&#8217;s nowhere near enough to provide for the needs of up to 2 million people,” NBC News&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-rcna121580" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>100. That’s how many trucks daily UN officials have said Gaza would need to address “urgent needs,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/second-aid-convoy-egypts-rafah-soon-en-route-gaza-sources-2023-10-22/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to Reuters.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>More than 2 million people in Gaza have been without food, water, medical supplies and fuel since Israel closed the borders to aid following the October 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,400 Israelis. More than 4,300 Palestianians have been killed since the war began earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-west-bank-gaza-militants-25b93d7eda4f2972360fe384d381bbff" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the Associated Press. Late last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/10/18/israel-approves-egyptian-humanitarian-aid-for-gaza-after-biden-applied-pressure/?sh=2bf88e6057da">announced</a>&nbsp;Israel would allow “food, water and medicine” for civilians in the southern Gaza Strip “as long as these supplies do not reach Hamas.” Netanyahu was also clear that any supplies that reached Hamas will be “thwarted.” The decision to allow aid was made after a meeting with Biden in which he said he supported the decision.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>U.S. Special Envoy David Satterfield&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-rcna121580" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;MSNBC Sunday that a &#8220;continuous flow&#8221; of humanitarian aid should get into Gaza through the Rafah border. Satterfield said he expects aid will be regularly moving into Gaza through the week, saying “we want to build that flow up to the levels necessary to begin to meet Gaza’s needs.”</p>


Palestinian workers from UN received the humanitarian aid

‘Continuous Flow’ Of Aid Expected Into Gaza As Second Delivery Arrives


<p><strong>As they grapple with keeping their businesses afloat, Palestinian founders are grieving the loss of life and community in Gaza, with many currently unable to reach friends, family and colleagues.</strong></p>



<p>alestinian founder Ram Mere was pitching his startup, Olivery, to a Startups Without Borders program backed by Meta to support and train local entrepreneurs. One of 10 finalists, Mere took home second place and a $15,000 check. Olivery now provides logistics solutions to 100 clients in seven countries and mostly hires Palestinians, he told&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>&nbsp;on Saturday from Ramallah, in the West Bank.</p>



<p>But amid the chaos of war, Mere has no idea whether all of his Gazan employees are safe. He recalled one person who continued to work for two days after the fighting began. “Now nothing,” he said. “They have no internet, and I am not sure if he is alive or not.”</p>



<p>Like other Palestinian startups, Olivery has served as a bright spot for a growing local tech scene, with pockets of young companies, incubators and accelerators across Gaza and the West Bank. While small, that tech ecosystem has been viewed as an important part of Palestinians’ economic future, Palestinian founders and investors said. But in the face of renewed tragedy and war, it’s one that also seems increasingly fragile.</p>



<p>After Hamas terrorists attacked Israel and killed 1,300 Israelis last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/israel-hostages-hamas-explained.html#:~:text=Hamas%20Took%20Scores%20of%20Hostages,citizens%20are%20among%20the%20captives" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kidnapping</a>&nbsp;nearly 200 others, the Israeli government responded with aerial strikes that killed at least 3,000 Palestinians,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians/card/latest-death-tolls-in-gaza-and-israel-xJRhBt04VQMocRuYUtsA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">per local officials</a>, and an evacuation order for 1.1 million Gazan civilians to relocate ahead of an expected ground invasion. Israel has cut off access to water, food and electricity for civilians and the evacuation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.un.org/unispal/document/israel-must-rescind-evacuation-order-for-northern-gaza-and-comply-with-international-law/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has been called</a>&nbsp;a “crime against humanity” by the U.N. “It’s impossible to deliver help or anything to support my employees in Gaza,” Palestinian founder Mo Jebrini, told&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>&nbsp;on Friday from Ramallah; 30% of his Palestinian team is based in the enclave.</p>



<p>Now, what was once a tenuous path to economic advancement in one of the poorest places in the world could vanish entirely.</p>



<p>“Tech was actually the last resort they could escape to from the prison,” said Mere, referring to Gaza&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-occupation-makes-palestinian-territories-open-air-prison-un-expert-2023-07-11/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">description</a>&nbsp;by some human rights groups as an open-air prison. “Now, even that is gone.”</p>



<p>In Israel, founders and tech employees are mourning killed relatives and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2023/10/13/israel-founders-struggle-to-balance-startups-and-front-line-military-service/">grappling</a>&nbsp;with their colleagues getting called up to Israel’s military reserves. More than 500 venture capital firms&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2023/10/12/vc-firms-sign-statement-israel/?sh=2d8192997a7a">signed</a>&nbsp;a public statement in support of Israel and its tech community last week.</p>



<p>The country’s technology sector, which represents 18% of GDP, raised nearly $10 billion in funding in 2021, and $1.4 billion in the last quarter alone, according to data from startup funding tracker Crunchbase. By comparison, the Palestinian startup community has received a tiny amount of funding: $9.5 million for all of 2021, at a combined valuation of $66 million, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://fastcompanyme.com/impact/palestinian-startups-are-growing-fast-but-they-face-huge-challenges/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Fast Company Middle East</em></a>.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“I’m trying to stay focused on the tech sector and build it in a way that keeps everyone safe and free.”Ibraham Housheya, founder of Endeavor Technology</p>
</blockquote>



<p>But despite its small size, the Palestinian startup landscape represents a unique chance at economic development and sustainability. (<em>Forbes</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinstoller/2022/06/02/heres-how-young-palestinian-and-israeli-entrepreneurs-are-forging-co-existence-through-startups/?sh=7a3bc4d243b2">attended</a>&nbsp;a joint Israeli and Palestinian startup pitch competition just last year.) And it’s been growing: The West Bank’s and Gaza’s $493 million information technology sector&nbsp;<a href="https://www.anera.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/OTG-Tech-Ecosystem-Palestine-spreads.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">doubled between 2008 and 2018</a>, with an estimated 2,500 graduating with tech degrees from Palestinian universities annually (though just 10% find jobs in the sector immediately out of school). In Gaza, where the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/westbankandgaza/overview" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unemployment rate</a>&nbsp;hovers at nearly 50%, the most common tech jobs for trained residents are in online IT freelancing, with outsourcing amounting to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.anera.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/OTG-Tech-Ecosystem-Palestine-spreads.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">approximately 80%</a>&nbsp;of the Palestinian tech sector.</p>



<p>It’s unclear how the war will affect this momentum; some of the community’s infrastructure is already gone.</p>



<p>“The lack of basic necessities has made it nearly impossible for anyone to continue their work, and believe me, work is not a priority for them at the moment with everything they are facing,” Leen Abubaker, programs manager at Flow Accelerator and cofounder of social impact startup Sawaed19. Many of the buildings that Gaza’s IT freelancers used to conduct work for international companies, including offices and coworking spaces, have been destroyed, she said.</p>



<p>That appears to include the headquarters of Gaza Sky Geeks, a tech hub founded in 2011 with support from Google parent Alphabet and non-profit organization Mercy Corp.&nbsp;<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/14/palestine-tech-industry-hamas-israel-war/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According to&nbsp;<em>TechCrunch</em></a><em>,&nbsp;</em>at least 5,000 coders and developers in the West Bank and Gaza have graduated from the group’s tech programs, which include a coding academy and startup accelerator. Named for the satellite internet access that provided many Gazans with an “open gate to the world,” said Dalia Shurrab, a former communication and social media coordinator for the group, Gaza Sky Geeks was a valuable source of training for residents unable to leave to pursue their education.</p>



<p>On Wednesday, Shurrab&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7117624115745693696/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shared footage on LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;of the Mercy Corps building where Gaza Sky Geeks had rented an office floor. Most of its windows appear blown out and ash covers the street. Mercy Corps regional director for the Middle East, Arnaud Quemin, said its team members are taking shelter and Gaza Sky Geeks is “not currently able to safely operate in Gaza.”</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<p>In the West Bank, which is home to most of the Palestinian startup scene and its only venture capital firm, Ibtikar Fund (which has backed startups like Olivery), tech companies are looking to maintain as normal operations as possible.</p>



<p>Endeavor Technology founder Ibraham Housheya, who employs more than 20 people in an office in Nablus, said his company has completed digital transformation projects for the likes of Walmart and Kroger. His Palestinian staff’s technical talent is no different from that of their colleagues in the company’s U.S. or Turkey offices, added Housheya — but they work using 3G wireless connections, not 4G or 5G. Colleagues are still able to connect on a daily basis via Gmail and Google Meet, said Housheya, who grew up in the West Bank and spoke to&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>&nbsp;from Turkey on Saturday.</p>



<p>“The most important thing right now is to help to keep the business running,” Housheya said. “There is a difference between Hamas and Palestinians,&#8221; with Hamas &#8220;only a part of a diverse Palestinian nation,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I’m trying to stay focused on the tech sector and build it in a way that keeps everyone safe and free.”</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“It’s a continuous struggle when you don&#8217;t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”Mohammad Alnobani, cofounder and CEO of The Middle Frame</p>
</blockquote>



<p>One entrepreneur who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons said that they were leading an ongoing effort to supply meals to Gazan workers&nbsp;<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/gazan-workers-israel-stranded-occupied-212240164.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stranded</a>&nbsp;in Ramallah and other towns following Saturday’s Hamas attacks. Access to Israel and Gaza is blockaded, they said; locals can feel their windows shake from aerial bombardments at night. “We’re trying to be as hospitable as possible,” they said, adding that their focus is on providing food, clothing and blankets. “Many of the people stuck here have double the pain because they’re away from loved ones and unable to reach them.”</p>



<p>Ramallah-based Sondos Mleitat, the cofounder and CEO of online mental health platform Hakini, is trying to set up a&nbsp;<a href="https://donorbox.org/psychological-first-aid-for-our-people-in-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">free mental health phone hotline</a>&nbsp;for Gazans, wherein psychologists and specialists from the Palestinian territories and around the world could provide immediate trauma intervention. She told&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>&nbsp;the war has underscored Hakini’s mission of social responsibility, even though running a business at this time has been challenging. “I know there are delays, and we are behind schedule, but this is nothing,” she said. “It’s worthless for me when I think about the people whose lives are at risk.”</p>



<p>Palestinian founders described the unique challenges they faced in building companies even before war broke out: reduced access to early stage capital, crossing through military checkpoints in order to travel. In Gaza for example, Palestinian internet service providers have only been able to offer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/13/middleeast/gaza-internet-outage-map-visuals-dg/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2G networks</a>, and the blockade has placed restrictions on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.anera.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/OTG-Tech-Ecosystem-Palestine-spreads.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hardware imports</a>. Raising money internationally has also been difficult due to instability. Next to Israel’s tech ecosystem, “it is not comparable at all in terms of resources,” said Mleitat.</p>



<p>Now, these obstacles may be compounded.</p>



<p>“It’s a continuous struggle when you don&#8217;t know what’s going to happen tomorrow,” said Mohammad Alnobani, cofounder and CEO of The Middle Frame, a stock image platform that aims to dismantle stereotypes about the Arab world. He was returning home from a conference when war broke out. “I was literally at the border on the bus waiting to go in, and everything started blowing up and they sent us back to Jordan.”</p>



<p>But Mleitat said that her community is used to building companies with so few resources and against so many odds. “One of the advantages we have as Palestinians is that we’re resilient because of what we have been going through,” she told&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>. That resilience, multiple founders said, is core to entrepreneurs’ success.</p>



<p>“The Gazan people are very talented,” said Gaza Sky Geeks’ Dalia Shurrab. She believes the organization — and the community it supports — will endure. “We are going to rebuild it again, and we are going to rebuild Gaza again.”</p>



<p><em>This story has been updated with the most recent death toll numbers in Gaza as of publication and details about Olivery’s pitch to Boost Without Borders.</em></p>


Israel continues bombing Gaza

The Palestinian Startup Ecosystem Has Represented Economic Hope. War Is Decimating It


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>An outdoor concert and dance party in a rural area near the Gaza-Israel border turned into tragedy Saturday, when many attendees were killed or taken hostage by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip, adding to hundreds of Israeli casualties in the unprecedented attack.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>About 260 bodies were recovered from the festival grounds, though it’s expected the toll will rise, a spokesperson for ZAKA, an Israeli non-governmental rescue and recovery organization, told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/music-festival-revelers-israeli-desert-became-victims-hamas-militants-rcna119394" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multiple</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-ca7903976387cfc1e1011ce9ea805a71" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outlets</a>&nbsp;Sunday.</p>



<p>The SuperNova Festival—which celebrated the Jewish holiday Sukkot—took place in the Negev Desert near Urim, a kibbutz about 13 miles from the Gaza Strip.</p>



<p>Attendees&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/07/middleeast/israel-gaza-fighting-hamas-attack-music-festival-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;CNN that once they heard the gunshots early Saturday morning they tried to flee, but cars were at a standstill and gunmen were still shooting, so some ran into nearby forests and hid.</p>



<p>One attendee described the scene to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mako.co.il/news-military/2023_q3/Article-f88c2856ee80b81026.htm?Partner=interlink" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">local media</a>&nbsp;as “four-five hours of a horror movie” and another described hearing sirens before the gunshots started, saying there were gunmen in every direction shooting at the concert-goers.</p>



<p>One festival-goer called it a “battlefield,” telling Israeli newspaper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-07/ty-article/.premium/survivors-of-massacre-at-israeli-outdoor-rave-describe-battlefield/0000018b-0a85-dae9-adcb-abbfa4990000" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Haaretz</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>they saw gunmen firing from all directions and burnt-out cars on the street.</p>



<p>“Everyone just started running in all directions,” attendee Eliav Klein&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/music-festival-revelers-israeli-desert-became-victims-hamas-militants-rcna119394" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;NBC News, adding his friend jumped off a 25-foot cliff; Klein estimated there were thousands at the festival, though there is not yet an official count of attendees.</p>



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<p>Some attendees were seen in social media videos being taken hostage by militants—CNN&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/07/middleeast/israel-gaza-fighting-hamas-attack-music-festival-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;the details of a viral video in which an Israeli woman and her boyfriend were shown being kidnapped, and the woman’s family has since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67047034" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">confirmed</a>&nbsp;to BBC they believe she was taken hostage.</p>



<p>Jake Marlowe, a 26-year-old British man who was working security at the festival, is missing and hasn’t been heard from since Saturday, when he texted his mother about the attack, Sky News&nbsp;<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/british-citizen-jake-marlowe-missing-after-hamas-attack-on-music-festival-in-israel-says-embassy-12979858#:~:text=A%20British%20citizen%20is%20missing,the%20festival%20in%20southern%20Israel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“We are doing the best we can to help the security forces, maintaining constant contact with them and are positioned in the area taking part in searches in order to locate the missing,” Nova Festival said in a Hebrew&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TRIBEofNOVA/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;on social media translated by CNN, adding they “share the sorrow” of the missing and killed.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>1,100. That’s at least how many Israeli and Palestinian people have died since Hamas fighters entered Israel on Saturday. The Israeli death toll is past 700,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/IsraelMFA/status/1711091937514492031?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1711091937514492031%7Ctwgr%5E82081fcc6e897c4ff5356e244afd539a6f0eb034%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Flive%2F2023%2F10%2F08%2Fworld%2Fisrael-gaza-attack-hamas-news" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the Israel Foreign Ministry, and the Palestinian Ministry of Health&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/10/08/americans-taken-hostage-in-hamas-attack-on-israel-as-death-toll-passes-1000/?sh=28673215239b">said</a>&nbsp;there were about 413 Palestinians who had been killed.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>On Saturday, Gaza-based militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/barrage-of-rockets-fired-at-israel-from-gaza-strip-d5b2f05f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">air, land and sea</a>, with militants crossing the Gaza Strip border into southern Israel while Hamas fired rockets toward Israeli cities, leading to one of the worst attacks on Israel in decades. The festival grounds were reportedly one of the first places gunmen attacked, capturing and killing civilians. Throughout Saturday night into Sunday, residents of Gaza faced Israeli airstrikes, while sirens to warn of potential attacks rang through the night in Israel. The Israeli military is widely expected to launch a large-scale counterattack on Gaza: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/10/07/israel-vows-mighty-vengeance-unprecedented-hamas-attack-leaves-at-least-200-dead/?sh=e0f214d688dd">said</a>&nbsp;the scale of the attack “has never been seen in Israel,” and vowed to “take mighty vengeance for this black day.” Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif called the attack the “day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/07/israel-declares-state-of-war-alert-after-surprise-hamas-attack.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multiple</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-762052" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outlets</a>&nbsp;reported. Throughout Sunday, death and injury tolls have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/10/08/americans-taken-hostage-in-hamas-attack-on-israel-as-death-toll-passes-1000/?sh=28673215239b">continued to rise</a>&nbsp;and more information about hostages has been released, as well. Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, after Israeli forces withdrew from the occupied territory two years prior, and the narrow, densely populated coastal territory has remained under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since then, with occasional flare-ups between Hamas and Israel’s military.</p>


Israeli airstrikes continue in Gaza

At Least 260 Killed At Israeli Music Festival In Hamas Attack—Attendees Describe ‘Horror Movie’


<p><strong>TOPLINE </strong>Israeli air and ground forces attacked Gaza Strip targets Thursday night, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to extract a “very heavy price” in response to rocket attacks from Hamas militants in the territory — but local news outlets say Israeli troops have not launched an actual ground invasion in Gaza yet.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>Hamas — which controls Gaza — and other militant groups have fired&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/11/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-airstrikes.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hundreds of rockets</a>&nbsp;toward Israeli population centers in recent days, and the Israeli Defense Force has responded with heavy airstrikes that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2021/05/12/israel-palestine-gaza-building-collapse-intl-hnk-vpx.cnn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">toppled</a>&nbsp;several Gaza Strip buildings, reportedly leading to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-57097475" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">over 100</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/weary-gaza-marks-muslim-feast-as-violence-spreads-in-israel/2021/05/13/0545e73e-b3ad-11eb-bc96-fdf55de43bef_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Palestinian deaths</a>&nbsp;and at least seven Israeli deaths.</p>



<p>The IDF has massed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/05/13/94-dead-in-gaza-conflict-as-worries-rise-of-israeli-ground-invasion/?sh=15598cf97eb6">thousands of troops</a>&nbsp;near the Gaza border in preparation for a ground campaign, and both air and ground troops are “currently attacking in the Gaza Strip,” the military&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1392953390443991040" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said on Twitter</a>&nbsp;early Friday morning, Israel time.</p>



<p>Some&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/05/13/world/israel-gaza-news" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">international</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/israel-steps-up-airstrikes-against-hamas-in-gaza-tries-to-contain-violence-at-home-11620900941?mod=hp_lead_pos4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">media</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/arabic/middleeast-57089065" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outlets</a>&nbsp;claimed IDF troops have already entered the territory, but its forces appear to be shelling the Gaza Strip from Israeli-controlled positions rather than carrying out a ground invasion in the territory, local and regional outlets like Israeli&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/roysharon11/status/1392955293466828805" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">public broadcaster</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/roysharon11/status/1392973698777354243" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kan 11</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-may-13-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Times of Israel</em></a>&nbsp;and Qatar-based al Jazeera reported.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h3>



<p>Israeli officials say they&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/biden-send-envoy-israel-palestine-gaza-crisis-2115a8db-3453-41e0-a0ea-01b373b0ec68.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aren’t interested</a>&nbsp;in an immediate ceasefire, instead promising to punish Hamas. “I said that we would extract a very heavy price from Hamas and the other terrorist organizations,” Netanyahu&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/1392972151028858880" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said Thursday night</a>. “This operation will continue as long as necessary in order to restore the calm and security to the state of Israel.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h3>



<p>If Israeli troops ultimately enter the Gaza Strip, it would mark the country’s first major ground campaign in the territory in seven years. Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4841877" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pulled all troops</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/07/02/does-israel-actually-occupy-the-gaza-strip/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">settlers</a>&nbsp;from Gaza in 2005, and Hamas — which most Western countries deem a terrorist group —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-palestinians-timeline/timeline-key-events-since-2006-hamas-election-victory-idUSL1752364420070620" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">took over</a>&nbsp;the territory in the following year, but Israel and Hamas have periodically exchanged fire since then. During a bout of violence in 2014, the IDF made a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/18/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-strip.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rare ground incursion</a>&nbsp;into Gaza with a stated mission of destroying the territory’s cross-border tunnels.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>The latest hostilities between Israel and Hamas follow days of unrest and tension. Israeli police&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-israel-jerusalem-076a9ec7e2bd9c065882c64a4ab820a1?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clashed</a>&nbsp;with Palestinian protesters earlier this week at East Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque, and protesters and police&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/07/world/middleeast/evictions-jerusalem-israeli-palestinian-conflict-protest.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">faced off</a>&nbsp;last week over planned evictions of several Palestinian families in part of East Jerusalem, an area&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jerusalem-middle-east-lifestyle-government-and-politics-43d4cab031c28da0abf98d694dd169ac" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">annexed by Israel</a>&nbsp;decades ago. Plus, violent street clashes have erupted in cities with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/13/world/middleeast/arab-jewish-violence-lod.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">large numbers</a>&nbsp;of both Jewish and Arab Israelis.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



<p>The United States has called for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/05/11/995942104/biden-administration-urges-israelis-and-palestinians-to-de-escalate-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">de-escalation</a>. Some Biden administration statements have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinkens-call-with-israeli-prime-minister-netanyahu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">relatively muted</a>, broadly defending Israel’s right to self-defense and condemning civilian violence. Meanwhile, the Pentagon&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/policy/defense/553453-pentagon-120-us-military-personnel-moved-from-israel-out-of-an-abundance-of" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said Thursday</a>&nbsp;it has moved 120 U.S. troops out of Israel, and the U.S. State Department is telling Americans to reconsider traveling there.</p>


Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

Israeli Ground Forces Take Action In Gaza As Death Toll Tops 100 — But Troops Reportedly Haven’t Invaded


<p id="h-topline"><strong>TOPLINE</strong> Gaza militant groups launched another round of more than 100 rockets into central Israel in retaliation for the Israeli military&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tzXlZ5_Sds" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">leveling another Gaza Tower</a>, a move that sent millions of Israelis into hiding in bomb shelters as the conflict’s death toll continues to climb.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1232823091-1024x698.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51100" width="734" height="500" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1232823091-1024x698.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1232823091-300x204.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1232823091-768x523.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1232823091-1536x1047.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1232823091-2048x1396.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px" /><figcaption>TOPSHOT &#8211; Smoke billows from Israeli air strikes in Gaza City, controlled by the Palestinian Hamas movement, on May 11, 2021. &#8211; Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza exchanged heavy fire, killing at least 26 Palestinians and two Israelis, in an escalation sparked by violent unrest at Jerusalem&#8217;s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. (Photo by ANAS BABA / AFP) (Photo by ANAS BABA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, said the 130 rockets it fired toward Israel Wednesday afternoon were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/12/israeli-bombardment-continues-on-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a direct response</a>&nbsp;to the destruction of Gaza City’s Al Sharuk tower earlier in the day.</p>



<p>Footage circulating on social media Wednesday shows the 14-story tower&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tzXlZ5_Sds" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">collapsing</a>&nbsp;after it was targeted for a strike by the Israel Defense Forces.</p>



<p>Besides residential apartments, the building also housed the offices of local and international&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/12/israeli-bombardment-continues-on-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">media outlets</a>, according to reports.</p>



<p>More than 335 Palestinians in Gaza have been wounded in the attacks, Gaza’s health officials said Wednesday, and of the 56 who have been reported killed, 14 were children.</p>



<p>Strikes from Hamas and other Gaza militant groups like Islamic Jihad have injured roughly 100 and killed 6 in Israel, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1392482375490211844?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">21-year-old soldier</a>&nbsp;and an Indian woman who was reportedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-woman-killed-in-israel-was-struck-by-rocket-strike-during-a-video-call-with-husband-384415" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">on a video call</a>&nbsp;with her husband when she died.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



<p>International powers are calling for a ceasefire. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will send top diplomat Hady Amr to the region “to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/12/world/middleeast/israel-palestine-blinken.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urge deescalation</a>&nbsp;and to bring calm,” Blinken said Wednesday.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>Weeks of tension reached a tipping point Saturday when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/05/10/hamas-fires-rockets-into-israel---and-threatens-to-launch-more---as-tensions-escalate/?sh=3c99b7b6312c">Hamas fired rockets</a>&nbsp;into Jerusalem after Israeli security forces confronted Palestinian protestors within the compound of the city’s Al Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam. Relations between Israel and Palestinians had been strained over the efforts of Jewish settlers to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/05/10/hamas-fires-rockets-into-israel---and-threatens-to-launch-more---as-tensions-escalate/?sh=35fdef5d6312">forcibly evict Palestinian families</a>&nbsp;from their homes in East Jerusalem and celebrations of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/jerusalem-alaqsa-templemount-haramalsharif/2021/05/10/17f29614-b161-11eb-bc96-fdf55de43bef_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jerusalem Day</a>, a controversial holiday that marks the anniversary of Israel seizing control of East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War in 1967.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/05/12/49-dead-hundreds-injured-amid-warning-israeli-palestinian-violence-escalating-toward-full-scale-war/?sh=45955a53424e">49 Dead, Hundreds Injured Amid Warning Israeli-Palestinian Violence Escalating Toward ‘Full-Scale War’</a>&nbsp;(<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/05/11/tel-aviv-comes-under-fire-as-israel-and-palestinian-militants-trade-blows/?sh=750d983b557e">“Tel Aviv Comes Under Fire As Israel And Palestinian Militants Trade Blows”</a> (<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Tag: Gaza City

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