Over the span of the past 10 weeks of Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials report that a minimum of 20,000 people have lost their lives.
The figures, disclosed by Gaza’s Government Media Office, highlight the devastating toll, with at least 8,000 children and 6,200 women among the casualties.
As the conflict intensifies, the United Nations Security Council has postponed a crucial vote on increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza for the third time, aiming to avoid a potential veto from the United States, a consistent defender of Israel at the UN.
Amid the grim statistics, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the need for the conflict to transition to a lower intensity phase, emphasising expectations for more targeted Israeli operations with a reduced number of forces.
Despite this, air strikes persist, with at least 46 people killed in attacks on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza and additional casualties reported in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The situation remains dire, with Gaza facing an escalation of Israeli military operations in areas designated as safe zones, leading to a continuous rise in victims, as reported by Al Jazeera’s correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum from Rafah.
