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



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.



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



1.5 million:&nbsp;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.



More than 11,000:&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.



Around 1,200:&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.



More than 400:&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.



About 240:&nbsp;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.



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756:&nbsp;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.



18:&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.



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



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.



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



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.



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



<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)



<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)

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

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.



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;.



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



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.



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.



&#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;



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.



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.



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.



&#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;



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;.



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;



&#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;



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;



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.



&#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.

Encircled By Israel, Gaza Faces Catastrophe As Death Toll Soars

Escalating Tensions: South Africa’s Diplomatic Withdrawal From Israel

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



The Israel Defense Forces admitted to striking the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza—an attack that Hamas said killed dozens and injured hundreds—and said it killed a senior Hamas commander in the attack.



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



A spokesperson for Israel said the IDF killed a Hamas commander who oversaw fighting in northern Gaza, and that Israeli forces killed&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1719424225751027715" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">around 50 Hamas fighters</a>&nbsp;and damaged a Hamas command center.



Hamas has denied that any leadership was at the refugee camp at the time of the attack, NBC News&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-rcna122919#rcrd23975" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.



The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/31/dozens-killed-in-israeli-air-attack-on-gaza-refugee-camp-medical-official" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;Al Jazeera that more than 50 people were killed and many others were hurt in the strike, and the director of Gaza’s Indonesian hospital, Dr. Atef al-Kahlout,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-10-31-23/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;CNN that “hundreds” of people came in dead or injured and said there were still people in the rubble.



Photos of the aftermath of the attack show massive holes in the ground, and eyewitnesses said there were “body parts all over the place,” CNN&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/31/middleeast/jabalya-blast-gaza-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.



The Jabalia refugee camp, the area hit by the Israeli strike, is the largest of the eight refugee camps in Gaza and has held refugees since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.



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



116,011. That’s how many Palestinian refugees were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/jabalia-camp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">registered</a>&nbsp;with the United Nations and living in the camp, though the total population of the camp was likely higher. Many refugees in the camp were living in “substandard conditions,” according to the UN, which said the camp is characterized by “overcrowding and a lack of living space.”



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critic">CHIEF CRITIC</h2>



A statement&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/pmofa/status/1719372014211768685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">posted</a>&nbsp;to the X, formerly known as Twitter, account of the Gaza Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said it “strongly condemns the recent massacre committed by the occupation against our people in the #Jabalia camp just a while ago. This resulted in the destruction of an entire densely populated residential area, over their heads.” The post estimated that 400 people were killed or wounded.



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



The strike came as Israel is facing calls for a ceasefire to allow for humanitarian aid, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there won’t be a ceasefire. He has said calls for a ceasefire are calls “to surrender to terrorism,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/30/world/middleeast/netanyahu-israel-hamas-cease-fire.html#:~:text=Calls%20for%20a%20cease%2Dfire%20are%20calls%20for%20Israel%20to,Israel's%20fight%20is%20your%20fight." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the&nbsp;New York Times, and has continued to vow to destroy Hamas. Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the UN Relief and Works Agency, said Monday that “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire has become a matter of life and death for millions,” CNN&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/31/middleeast/israel-gaza-hamas-war-tuesday-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>. Since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, the Hamas-run Healthy Ministry in Gaza&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-news-10-31-2023-54ab6bd7f6861be86266770c245827e1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a>&nbsp;that more than 8,000 Palestinians have been killed, adding that most have been children or minors. The Israeli death toll is around 1,400, almost entirely from the initial attack, while hundreds of hostages were taken from Israel to the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-news-10-31-2023-54ab6bd7f6861be86266770c245827e1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.

Israeli attack on residential square in Jabalia refugee camp

Israel Admits Striking Refugee Camp—Says It Targeted And Killed Hamas Commander

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



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.


<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>



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.



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.



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



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.



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



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>.



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



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.



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



<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>(Forbes)



<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)



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

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>



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.



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



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.



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.



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.



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



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>.



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



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.



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



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.



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



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.”

Palestinian workers from UN received the humanitarian aid

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

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.



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;Forbes&nbsp;on Saturday from Ramallah, in the West Bank.



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.”



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.



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;Forbes&nbsp;on Friday from Ramallah; 30% of his Palestinian team is based in the enclave.



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



“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.”



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.



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">Fast Company Middle East</a>.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
“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
</blockquote>



But despite its small size, the Palestinian startup landscape represents a unique chance at economic development and sustainability. (Forbes&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.



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



“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.



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;TechCrunch</a>,&nbsp;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.



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.”



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



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.



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;Forbes&nbsp;from Turkey on Saturday.



“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.”



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
“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
</blockquote>



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.”



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;Forbes&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.”



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.



Now, these obstacles may be compounded.



“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.”



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;Forbes. That resilience, multiple founders said, is core to entrepreneurs’ success.



“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.”



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.

Tag: Gaza

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