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AS IT HAPPENED
Israel says deadly strike on Gaza refugee camp targeted Hamas militant
The Hamas-run health ministry said at least 50 people were killed Tuesday in Israeli bombardment of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. Israel’s military confirmed the strike targeted a key Hamas commander linked to the October 7 attack. Also on Tuesday, France’s foreign ministry said two French children have died in the Gaza Strip and reiterated its call for a humanitarian pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas. Follow our live blog for the latest updates. All times are Paris time (GMT+1).
Issued on: 31/10/2023 – 06:15
Modified: 31/10/2023 – 22:58
2 min
Palestinians search for casualties at the site of Israeli strikes on houses in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, October 31, 2023.
Palestinians search for casualties at the site of Israeli strikes on houses in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, October 31, 2023. © Fadi Whadi, Reuters
By:
FRANCE 24
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FRANCE 24
Israeli forces were engaged in “fierce battles” with Hamas militants deep inside the Gaza Strip, the army said Tuesday, adding that it had struck 300 Hamas targets over the past day and killed dozens of militants. Ground operations in Gaza are primarily focused on the north, including Gaza City, the army said.
An estimated 800,000 Palestinians in Gaza have fled south, even though Israeli air strikes have pounded the entirety of the besieged enclave. More than half of the territory’s 2.3 million people have fled their homes, with hundreds of thousands sheltering in packed UN-run schools-turned-shelters or in hospitals alongside wounded patients.
Thailand’s foreign minister begins an urgent visit to Qatar and Egypt on Tuesday for talks on the fate of 22 Thais taken hostage by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas during its deadly October 7 attack on Israel.
A World Health Organization official said Tuesday that a “public health catastrophe” was imminent in Gaza amid overcrowding, mass displacement and damage to water and sanitation infrastructure.
At least 8,525 Palestinians, including 3,542 children, have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since October 7, the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory said Tuesday.
This page is no longer being updated. To follow our coverage from Tuesday October 31, please click here.
Key developments from Monday, October 30:
Hamas on Monday released a video it said showed three women from the more than 230 people Israel says were abducted by militants and taken to Gaza during the October 7 attack. Sitting on plastic chairs against a white tile wall, one of the women urges Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree a prisoner exchange for the release of all captives. Speaking in Hebrew, she becomes very agitated and starts shouting, almost screaming by the end, as the other two sitting on either side of her remain silent.
A female Israeli soldier was released from captivity in the Gaza Strip, the army said Monday, following an operation in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory. “Last night, soldier Ori Megidish was released during a ground operation after being kidnapped by Hamas on October 7,” the army said in a statement. “The soldier was medically checked, is doing well, and has met with her family.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told journalists in Tel Aviv that a ceasefire in Gaza “will not happen”. Despite mounting criticism over the growing number of civilian casualties in Gaza amid ongoing Israeli strikes, Netanyahu vowed to continue fighting Hamas “barbarians”. The US said it does not back a ceasefire at this time.
Read our blog to see how yesterday’s events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
