Palestinian children look at the rubble of a building, after it was destroyed in an Israeli strike the night before, in the Rimal neighbourhood of gaza City on March 16, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Doha, Qatar: At least 31,645 Palestinians have been killed and 73,676 wounded by Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7, announced the Palestinian Health Ministry today.
Meanwhile, aid agencies are warning nearly 600,000 people are on the brink of famine.
Parallelly, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have arrested eight Palestinians in overnight raids.
Watch this page for more live updates:
[11:00pm Doha Time] UNRWA says people of Gaza are on verge of famine
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) warned on Sunday that the people of Gaza are on the verge of famine, stressing the necessity to open the crossings to facilitate the arrival of urgent humanitarian aid.
[10:42pm Doha Time] Palestinian President stresses importance of accelerating entry of humanitarian, medical aid into Gaza Strip
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stressed the importance of accelerating the entry of humanitarian, relief and medical aid into the Gaza Strip, and increasing it, so that shelter centers and hospitals can play their role in providing what is necessary to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian citizens. Read more.
[10:00pm Doha Time] Doctors Without Borders organization said that the current situation in Gaza is catastrophic and words can't describe it. The organization indicated that the Gaza Strip suffers from a major food shortage, as Palestinians live in difficult conditions. Read more.
[6:30pm Doha Time] King Abdullah II of Jordan discussed with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan the serious developments in Gaza, including the catastrophic humanitarian conditions there, as the Israeli occupation's aggression that started on October 7 continues. Read more.
[3:19pm Doha Time] Flour being distributed after 6 aid trucks arrive in northern Gaza
Gaza’s Civil Defence spokesman, Mahmoud Basal, spoke to Al Jazeera about the entry of aid trucks into northern Gaza.
The main points from his interview are as follows:
Six trucks arrived in northern Gaza and have been secured at UNRWA centres.
The distribution of bags of flour has begun but they are not enough for Gaza City and the north.
We expect aid to enter every day, but the Israeli forces’ measures hinder this.
Those who distribute aid are members of some known families and tribes.
More than 400 people have been killed while waiting for aid in the Gaza Strip.
[11:14am Doha Time] Gaza death toll rises to 31,645
At least 31,645 Palestinians have been killed and 73,676 wounded by Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7, the Palestinian Health Ministry has announced.
The ministry added that 92 people were killed in the last 24 hours.
Palestinians search the rubble of the Tabatibi family home following overnight Israeli bombardment west of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central gaza Strip on March 16, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
[11:00am Doha Time] Doctors in Rafah struggle to provide care for patients
Volunteer doctors say they’re struggling to provide medical care to people in Rafah, southern Gaza.
The UN says 1.5 million Palestinians have sought shelter in Rafah after Israel’s intense attacks in northern and central Gaza.
Rafah lacks the healthcare facilities to treat this many people and a shortage of medicines and supplies is worsening the suffering.
“It’s impossible for medical facilities to accommodate this number of patients. We’re operating in a camp housing around 1.5 million people. We receive medications to cover a week, but they run out in just one day,” Ahmed Saad, volunteer at medical point in Rafah, said.
Samar Gregea, a displaced Palestinian from Gaza City, said: “We’re facing shortages of medications, especially pediatric medicines. There are a lot of patients in the camp, with all children suffering from malnutrition, and the widespread presence of hepatitis A. Children require foods high in sugars, like dates, which are currently unavailable.”
Palestinians react at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah where relatives pulled from the rubble of the Tabatibi family home were transported on March 16, 2024, following overnight Israeli bombardment west of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central gaza Strip. (Photo by AFP)
[9:45am Doha Time] Eight Palestinians arrested by Israel in occupied West Bank
Israeli forces have arrested eight Palestinians in overnight raids across the occupied West Bank, local news sources said.
The arrests took place in Qalqilya, Hebron and Jenin after Israeli forces stormed the cities and raided Palestinian homes.
According to the Commission of the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs, Israeli occupation forces have arrested about 7,605 Palestinians from the West Bank since October 7.
[9:15am Doha Time] ‘We cannot eat, or drink, and aid is very scarce’
Boys look on as they wait with displaced Palestinians queueing to receive food donated by a charity organisation ahead of the fast-breaking "iftar" meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Rafah in the southern gaza Strip on March 16, 2024. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
While some aid is being airdropped or delivered by sea, experts, NGOs and residents say it’s nowhere near enough to meet the needs of millions of Palestinians.
“The situation is so bad that no one can imagine it, and the ship, even if it helps, will be a drop in the ocean, because the entire region is in need of aid, and people are competing to take aid from the shore,” Zahr Saqr, a displaced Palestinian, said.
Airdrops have caused chaos, with several people killed by falling pallets when parachutes failed to open.
“We keep waiting for aid. This is not a solution, whether by ship or by plane. We saw planes dropping aid and people fighting over it. There are some children who drowned in the sea for aid,” Wael Miqdad, a Khan Younis resident, said.
Aid agencies are warning nearly 600,000 people are on the brink of famine.
“The living situation is very bad. We cannot eat, or drink, and aid is very scarce. They told us there is aid in the south, but it is very scarce,” Iman Wadi, another displaced Palestinian, said.
