Here is the situation on Wednesday, October 25, 2023:
Latest developments
- Israeli air attacks in Gaza on Tuesday killed at least 704 people, which the Palestinian Ministry of Health said was the highest 24-hour death toll there since fighting began.
- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees warned that hospitals in Gaza may shut down by Wednesday night if no fuel is delivered. The Palestinian Health Ministry urged “immediate flow” of medical supplies and fuel into Gaza Strip hospitals.
- Early on Wednesday, Israel’s military announced that its fighter jets struck Syrian army infrastructure and launched mortars in response to firing from Syria. Syrian state media reported that the attack killed eight of its soldiers and wounded seven.
- Hezbollah’s chief met Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders to assess their resistance efforts in Gaza.
- Credit rating agencies S&P and Fitch Ratings have downgraded Israel’s rating outlook to reflect the war risks and its effect on Israel’s credit metrics.
Human impact and fighting
- At least 5,791 have been killed in Gaza since October 7.
- Predawn Israeli air attacks and shelling continued across the Gaza Strip killing at least 19 people. Areas targeted include residential places in Jabalia and Tal al-Hawa in the north, al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, and near Red Crescent headquarters and al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, where more than 4,000 Palestinians are taking shelter.
- Hundreds in Tel Aviv took to the streets on Tuesday night, demanding that the Israeli government bring back captives being held by Hamas in Gaza.
- Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the director general of al-Shifa Arab Hospital in Gaza City, said Israel might be using new deadly weapons based on the unusual injuries he has been witnessing.
Escalation in the occupied West Bank
- Tuesday night’s Israeli raids also coincided with a power outage in at least three areas across the occupied West Bank.
- An Israeli drone attack in Jenin has killed three Palestinians and injured a dozen.
- At least 11 people have been arrested in a raid on Hebron, bringing the total number of arrests in the city to more than 400 since October 7. The death toll across the West Bank so far has reached 103, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Diplomacy
- French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel on Tuesday. He expressed France’s support for an international coalition to fight Hamas. He also met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
- UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the Hamas attack on Israel during a Security Council debate, acknowledging that it did not happen “in a vacuum”. The comment propelled Israel to call on the UN chief to resign, while Israel’s foreign minister cancelled his meeting scheduled with Guterres.
- Lebanon’s UN ambassador, Hadi Hachem, talked about the effect of Israeli aggression on Lebanon, including the recent killing of Lebanese journalist Issam Abdallah. He added that Lebanon “is exerting every effort to disassociate” from this “bloody conflict”.
- As representatives gear up for the UN General Assembly emergency meeting on Thursday, Jordan has released a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
- The US Treasury is seeking to build an international coalition to target Hamas’s financing.
