The head of the UN warned on Wednesday that he expects "public order to completely break down soon due to the desperate conditions" in Gaza, where Israeli forces have expanded their offensive to the southern city of Khan Younis. The fierce fighting has forced civilians to flee to shrinking “safe areas” and sparked international warnings over the deteriorating humanitarian situation. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+1).
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Summary:
- Israeli forces battled Hamas militants across Gaza on Wednesday, with house-to-house fighting reported in the southern city of Khan Younis, which has emerged as the primary target in Israel’s expanded ground offensive.
- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces were encircling the Gaza house of top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, adding: "It's only a matter of time before we get him."
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a rare move to formally warn the Security Council of a global threat from the war in Gaza and press for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire".
- The Israeli military ordered Palestinians sheltering in Khan Younis to flee westwards towards the Mediterranean coast or further south towards Rafah near the Egyptian border. Gazans are running out of places to flee, warned aid groups, as the number of displaced residents mounted to 1.9 million, according to the UN.
- Hamas attacked southern Israeli communities on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages, according to the Israeli government. Since then, at least 16,248 people, including 7,112 children, have been killed in Israel's ensuing assault on the Gaza Strip, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry said. At least 43,616 people have been injured and at least 7,600 people are missing, the Hamas media office said.
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Yesterday's key developments:
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At least 25 people were killed Tuesday in a strike that hit a southern Gaza school sheltering Palestinians displaced by war, the Hamas-run health ministry said.
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The Israeli army said on Tuesday that 82 soldiers had been killed since the start of its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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President Joe Biden on Tuesday forcefully denounced the reported rape and sexual violence against Israeli girls and women by Hamas militants following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
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The United States said Tuesday it would refuse visas for extremist Israeli settlers behind a wave of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, as it also asked Israel to do more to spare civilians in Gaza.
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Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu says the Israeli military will have to retain open-ended security control over the Gaza Strip long after its war against Hamas ends.
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France on Tuesday imposed asset freezes on Hamas's Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar.
