The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 25,000 people
United Nations humanitarian workers have disclosed that the number of casualties in Gaza has now exceeded 25,000 since the outbreak of war on October 7th. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), using data from the Gaza health authorities, stated that over 62,000 Palestinians were injured as a result of Israeli attacks. These attacks were launched in response to the Hamas-led offensive in Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and around 250 individuals taken hostage.
In this context, the foreign ministers of Israel and Palestine are gearing up to meet with their European Union counterparts in separate talks in Brussels. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza, describing it as "heartbreaking and utterly unacceptable". Guterres urged collective efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading in the region.
Guterres emphasized the urgency of a two-State solution for Israelis and Palestinians. He warned that the denial of statehood for the Palestinian people would perpetuate the conflict, posing a significant threat to global peace and security.
As the conflict intensifies, OCHA highlighted the critical humanitarian situation in Gaza, revealing that only 15 bakeries are operational between Rafah and Deir al Balah. The UN World Food Programme continues to support these bakeries, supplying flour, salt, yeast and sugar and allowing some 250,000 people access to subsidized bread.
Additionally, UNRWA reported ongoing telecommunication shutdowns in Gaza, hampering access to vital information and hindering humanitarian response efforts. The agency confirmed that 1.7 million people are now displaced within Gaza, with at least 335 of them killed and 1,161 injured while seeking shelter in UNRWA premises. The agency itself has suffered casualties, with 151 staff members killed and 141 installations damaged since October 7th. The situation in Gaza remains critical as international leaders grapple with finding a solution to the escalating crisis.