The death toll among Palestinians passed 8,000, mostly women and minors, as Israeli tanks and infantry pursued what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a “second stage” as Israeli forces continue strikes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Nearly three dozen trucks entered Gaza on Sunday in the largest aid convoy since the bombardment began, but humanitarian workers said the assistance still fell desperately short of needs after thousands of people broke into warehouses to take flour and basic hygiene products.
Communications were restored to most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people Sunday after an Israeli bombardment described by residents as the most intense of the war knocked out phone and internet services late Friday.
Meanwhile, the UN has emphasised that people in Gaza, “including women and girls, urgently need lifesaving supplies, safe shelter, protection, support and maternal health care”.
In an update shared by the UN, as of October 20, almost half a million women in Gaza had been displaced from their homes while 50,000 women are pregnant, with 5,522 expected to deliver in the next month.
