Earlier that day, a Saturday morning, around a thousand fighters from Hamas’ military wing — the al-Qassam Brigades — and at least four Palestinian armed groups launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm. The southern part of Israel is the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
According to a report by the human rights organization, the militants carried out several attacks against Israeli military bases, civilian residential communities — at least 19 ‘kibbutzim’ and five ‘moshavim’ (civilian residential communities) in the town of Sterod. and Ofakim, two music festivals — including Noah — and a beach party. The fighting lasted almost the whole day, and in some cases, longer.
That same day, Israel declared war on Hamas and bombed the Palestinian territories, launching a ground offensive three weeks later.
+++ Killed in the attack +++
According to official Israeli data, 1,139 people died in the Hamas attack: 695 Israeli civilians, including 36 children, 373 members of the security forces and 71 foreigners.
+++ Hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 +++
Hamas militants and other Palestinian factions took 251 civilians and soldiers hostage that day.
Currently, there are 97 hostages, including 33 dead, according to the Israeli military. Four more hostages remain, kidnapped before October 7.
By the end of August, a total of 117 hostages had been freed — the majority (105) during the only ceasefire since fighting began in late November.
According to AFP, which conducted a survey based on official data, half of the dead hostages (35 out of 70) had already died during the Hamas attack and were taken to Gaza — specifically, 10 soldiers with bodies.
Another 35 hostages were killed in Gaza. Three of them were mistakenly shot dead by the Israeli army on December 15, 2023.
+++ Dead, Injured and Missing +++
According to the Hamas-controlled government’s health ministry, at least 41,822 people died and 96,844 were injured following Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip.
Gaza officials did not distinguish between civilian and militant deaths, but about 11,000 children and 6,000 women are believed to have died. More than 10,000 people are still missing.
On the Israeli side, officials report more than 1,200 deaths and 5,400 injuries in Israel.
In Gaza, 346 Israeli soldiers were killed and 2,297 wounded.
+++ Dead in the West Bank +++
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 693 Palestinians died in the West Bank between October 7 and September 23, including in East Jerusalem, where violence has increased since October 7.
UNICEF has confirmed that more than 150 children have died in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during the same period.
+++ migrated +++
According to the United Nations Palestine Refugee Agency (UNWRA), 1.9 million people (out of a total population of 2.2 million) are internally displaced within the Palestinian enclave (365 square kilometers). In some cases, people have migrated tenfold within the territory.
+++ Facilities destroyed +++
More than half of the hospitals (19) in the Gaza Strip are out of service.
The UN said all hospitals in the enclave were affected and none were fully functional.
As of September 11, 17 hospitals were partially functional (three in northern Gaza, seven in Gaza, three in Deir al-Bala, four in Khan Younis).
Only 1,500 hospital beds are operational compared to 3,500 beds in 2023, far short of the population’s needs.
Israeli forces have carried out 492 attacks on health infrastructure as of September 19. The United Nations reported 190 damaged facilities and 130 ambulances destroyed.
++ About 85,000 tons of explosives ++ were dropped on Gaza
Some 85,000 tons of explosives were dropped on Gaza by land, sea and air during these last months of the war, rendering at least 80,000 homes uninhabitable, 125 schools and universities completely destroyed and more than 600 mosques collapsed.
The United Nations estimates that the amount of rubble piled up in Gaza is 14 times greater than the sum total of all the conflicts since 2008, reaching nearly 42 million cubic meters.
Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will cost between 30 and 40 billion dollars (27 and 36 billion euros) and will require an effort unprecedented since World War II.
+++ Medical and humanitarian workers killed +++
More than 280 humanitarian workers were killed, including at least 222 UNRWA staff.
As for medical personnel, more than 885 personnel have died as of September 24, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and other workers, according to the United Nations.
According to the World Health Organization, there have been 1,043 attacks against health infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 7.
+++ dead journalists +++
According to Reporters Without Borders, more than 130 journalists have been killed by Israeli attacks since the offensive began, including at least 32 while on duty.
+++ living conditions +++
According to the most recent survey by the United Nations Satellite Program (UNOSAT), released on Tuesday, two-thirds of the buildings in Gaza (that is, 163,778 structures) have been damaged in the nearly year-long conflict.
A third of these structures, a total of 52,564, were completely destroyed and 18,913 severely damaged, UNOSAT indicated in its ninth satellite assessment of the situation in Gaza based on images captured from September 3 to 6.
Gaza province (in the north of the Gaza Strip and where the territory’s capital is located) was the area most affected by the conflict, with 46,370 structures damaged and 36,611 destroyed, UNOSAT added.
According to OCHA, 495,000 people in Gaza – a quarter of the population – face “catastrophic levels of food insecurity”.
A total of 229 critical patients were evacuated from the enclave.
+++ Education +++
Not all students get proper education.
Over 10,300 students and 416 academic staff were killed (as of September 24).
According to the Palestinian Minister of Education, 90% of schools in Gaza have been destroyed (290 out of 309 schools) — a third of the affected institutions are UNRWA.
+++ The economy sinks +++
The United Nations Trade and Development Agency (UNCTAD) notes that the economy in the Palestinian Territory — but also in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — has sunk since the beginning of the conflict.
By the beginning of this year, 80-90% of Gaza’s agricultural assets, including hazard systems, livestock farms, orchards, as well as machinery and storage facilities, had already been destroyed, halting food production.
On the other hand, 82% of private enterprises in the Gaza Strip were damaged or destroyed.
Between October 7 and the end of 2023, Gaza’s gross domestic product fell by 81%, and by mid-year, the region’s economy was only one-sixth of its 2022 level.
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