The United Nations said that the death toll from the Israeli siege of Gaza has crossed 11,000 but could actually be much higher since numbers have not been updated due to a communications collapse.
The UN cited Gaza’s health ministry to say that 11,078 people were confirmed to have been killed in the Israeli offensive so far. The number includes 4,506 children and 3,027 women.
However, the last update came on November 10 and no news have been received so far since UN has lost contact with Gaza.
In addition to the deaths, 27,490 people have been injured in the siege as well. A total of 2,700 people including 1,500 children are ‘missing’ and could be under the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.
Media reports said that Israeli ground forces are surrounding multiple hospitals in northern Gaza where thousands of people have taken refuge from the destruction.
As the humanitarian situation worsened, Gaza’s border authority said the Rafah crossing into Egypt would reopen on Sunday for foreign passport holders after closing on Friday.
Hamas said it had completely or partially destroyed more than 160 Israeli military targets in Gaza, including more than 25 vehicles in the past 48 hours. An Israeli military spokesperson said Hamas had lost control of northern Gaza.
At a news conference late on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the deaths of five more Israeli soldiers in Gaza. The Israeli military said 46 had been killed since its ground operations there began.
Israel’s three major TV news channels, without citing named sources, said there was some progress toward a deal to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Netanyahu said he would not discuss details of any possible deal, which according to N12 News would involve 50 to 100 women, children and elderly being released in stages during a three to five day pause in fighting.
According to the reports, Israel would release women and minor Palestinian prisoners from its jails and consider letting fuel in to Gaza, while reserving the right to resume fighting after the deal.
“When we have something concrete to say then we will update the families and bring it to the government,” Netanyahu said. “Until then silence would be best.”
In Tel Aviv, thousands joined a rally to support families of the hostages.
Gaza residents said Israeli troops, who went to war to eliminate Hamas after its bloody cross-border assault on Oct. 7, had been clashing with Hamas gunmen all night in and around Gaza City where the Al Shifa hospital, Gaza’s largest, is located.
Ashraf Al-Qidra, who represents the health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, said the hospital suspended operations after fuel ran out. He said two babies had died in an incubator as a result. He said there were 45 babies in total.
He said Israeli shelling killed a patient in intensive care and that Israeli snipers on rooftops fired into the medical complex from time to time, limiting people’s ability to move.
“We are besieged inside the Al Shifa Medical Complex, and the (Israeli) occupation has targeted most of the buildings inside,” he told Reuters by phone.
Colonel Moshe Tetro, head of coordination and liaison at COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body handling civil affairs in Gaza, said there had been clashes but added: “There is no shooting at the hospital and there is no siege.”
